Porcelain Doll
by Ninjawolf1313
Summary: Secrets, Demons, Love, Vengeance; How did Rin's life become so unstable? At every turn there is Death, and slowly he is creeping up on her and he won't let go until revenge is served. The only problem is, she has no idea what she had done to make these turn of events happen. She is stuck in the middle with no way out and she is but a mere human...as far as she knows. Remastered
1. Chapter Prologue

Porcelain Doll

**Prologue**

She knew that she was meeting her end. The life inside of her stomach was no more, the energy from her baby fading within her as she lay there motionlessly. Blood surrounded her and coated every inch of her body, but all she could do was stare up at the night sky of the Makai.

Behind her fuzzy eyes she saw her mates face, his dark eyes sparkling as he gave her one of his rare smiles. He only smiled for her and now…she was going to be separated from him -Maybe forever.

She felt a strangled, horrible cry whelm up in her throat as her new reality settled over her. Her mate –he had a chance to survive. She was too far gone and there was no way that he could escape _His _hold with his energy locked up inside of his body.

Her brother…he was just as bad off as she herself, but she refused to have him die by this monster's hands. She had to think of something to perhaps…save them all from this horrible fate if possible.

She knew that they were both there but she couldn't hear their screams for her. They were forced to watch their enemy torture her in the worst way imaginable and it left her blind and depth. It was a sick, sick game that was being played and she refused to lose. Not to _Him_.

She began to whisper an old, forbidden chant she had read once in her father's study. Her brother was on the verge of dying, a little closer than she herself was, and though it was risky she saw no other option. There was no 100 percent chance that it would work and if it did, than there was no telling how it would turn out.

She was messing with an unknown but she had to try, she just had to, and now there was no one around to punish her for breaking the law.

She felt his presences, whatever words he was saying only sounding like white noise to her clogged ears even though he was crouched down beside her. His first mistake that his ego caused was he released the ties holding her down the moment he was finished ruining her body and life. She knew that it was because her brother and mate were getting harder to restrain the more enraged they became, and even in their weakened states their powers were deadly.

That decision will only prove to be fatal.

As quickly as she could she reached up and snagged the necklace around his neck and watched with blurry eyes as his misleading form changed. Now the world would see him for what he truly was.

-A hideous, disgusting lie.

"What the hell?" she saw his mouth say as his body began sag like it would in old age.

"Amazing what age can do to a body," she said though she couldn't quite hear even herself speak. She was hanging on by a thread -a thin, fragile thread.

"What did you do to me?" she saw his mouth say as the final transformation settled in.

"I showed you you're true from," and then she began to glow dark blue. Though she couldn't see, she knew that her brother was also being affected by her advanced magic. His warm energy was beginning to intermingle with her cooler one.

His guilt was almost as stifling as her longing for her mate.

Amos suddenly flew out of her view point as her mate took his place over her. She imagined that the sadness in his black eyes reflected hers perfectly. His eyes were wide as he examined her tainted, bloodied form. The pain she saw on his beautiful face was unbearable but she saw no other way.

"We will not die. We will be born again in my reincarnation and Makoto will be with me. We will get free and finish Amos together, but when the time comes my love, you must not tell me who I am and what we had."

And she knew that he would understand why. There was no telling how long her and her brother would be floating in a dark abyss as they waited for her spell to complete. It could take years, centuries, and she only hoped that it wasn't all in vain.

She only hoped that her love would be alright…because when she returned she would not remember him and what they had.

_I will always love you, even if I don't remember...  
><em>


	2. Chapter 1

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter one: My Strange Hero**

Tears slid down her pale cheeks as she stared at her small delicate hands. The Sun was going down in the nearby park by her house. She had been there for hours.

The light yellow dress she was wearing blew in the gentle breeze but she hardly felt it. She hardly felt anything. She was starting to wonder if she had somehow died.

"Draven, you fool," she whispered to herself as more tears brewed up behind her large childish dark blue eyes.

She reached up and brushed a strand of her platinum blonde hair out of her face. It fell right back into her saddened eyes.

She tried to keep thoughts of her older brother out of her slowly breaking mind. He was all she had. What was she going to do? Who was going to hold her at night when the nightmares started? She had needed him. He had left her.

She put her head in her hands and started to sob hysterically as images of her brother's body cover in blood on their kitchen floor haunted her mind. He had shot himself through the mouth with a small hand gun. He could not live with their parent's death. He had left her to face it alone.

"You fool," she repeated in a quiet whisper as she hugged her small shaking form.

She was not sure of when she had walked back to her brother's house. She did not realize she had walked inside. She barely felt the cold green sheets under her numb frame. She didn't even recognize the tan walls she was staring blankly at. She had forgotten she was Rin Suzuki; at least for the time being.

All light left the park as the Moon replaced the Sun. It was quiet and some could even say too quiet for what was normal in Japan. Four unnoticed figures were hiding in the shadows away from all of those who may have been out this late at night.

"Long time no see Binky breath," said a young man with slick back hair and a cocky smirk.

The tall man with shaggy brown hair and eyes with a JR symbol on his head had hidden his annoyance like an expert. The only thing that showed the young man's words irritated him was the slight move of the Binky in his mouth.

"Same to you Yusuke," he replied as he looked to the responsible one of the group.

His eyes landed on a handsome young man with long red hair and green eyes that clearly said he was wise and had an old soul. His posture was calm and at ease despite him being alert to his surroundings. A perk you gain from being a master thief.

"Kurama, I'd hate to bother you guys after so many years of peace and quiet, but I'm afraid that a very gutsy demon is causing trouble in the human world. He is physically weak but can tamper with the mind like no other. He's more potent than Hiei's jagon," the Spirit World ruler said as he pinched the bridge between his nose.

"Come on Koenma. I would think that I would have noticed unusual activity," mumbled a tall man with orange hair and small beady black eyes.

Koenma pulled out a rolled up piece of newspaper and handed it to the tall man.

"A suicide?" he mumbled as he looked at the head line. Koenma nodded.

"What the hell does this have to do with us?" Yusuke asked rudely.

"Stop being cranky Urameshi. Just because Keiko made you sleep on the couch doesn't mean torture the rest of us," Kuwabara muttered as he continued to read the newspaper.

Not giving the irritable half demon a chance to retaliate, Kurama voiced a question.

"What would a demon get out of making powerless humans commit suicide -Perhaps enjoyment?"

"I don't think so Kurama."

The red-headed man turned his attention to Kuwabara.

"This article says that this guy had just lost his parents two months ago. They were in a fatal car accident and died on impact. Supposedly their daughter was with them and barely survived," the tall man furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "I don't get it."

"It's the daughter. That car accident was no accident and neither was her brother's suicide. Someone is after her in the worst way imaginable."

Yusuke stared at Koenma with a frown on his face; his bad mood temporarily forgotten.

"What is it that you want us to do? You fired me remember? I'm not 14 anymore. I'm a 23-year-old man. I'm a 23-year-old demon."

Koenma sighed, "I know Yusuke. But I fear for this girl's life and the reasons that this mystery demon would go out of his way to strip her of the people she loves. This is not just for sport. He wants something from her."

"We should find her then. This demon will most likely try to manipulate her thoughts," Kurama said calmly as he looked at his two friends who nodded in agreement.

"She would be a lot safer at Genkia's, but I'd like to explain everything first," Koenma said as he opened up a portal for himself.

"Be delicate with her," was the last thing the ruler spoke before vanishing into the portal.

* * *

><p>She was not sure of when she had fallen asleep. She was not sure what time it even was.<p>

She blinked rapidly in the darkness of whatever room she had collapsed in. The darkness remained regardless of the moon shining through the large window that was to her back. She wanted to get up but simply did not have enough energy. She had no motivation. No will.

"Humans are always so pathetic. Oh how the mighty have fallen."

Her small body tensed up as the unfamiliar squeaky voice met her ears.

Pain erupted on her head as the intruder roughly grabbed her up by her hair.

She swiftly flew across the room and crashed hard into the opposing wall. A small groan left her parted lips as she clenched her eyes tight due to the pain that was now all over her body.

"Yes, I've waited a long time for this my dear. It's time that I take back what's mine and you will be forced to comply," the voice squeaked again as she was once more picked up by her hair.

"I want you to scream in pain. Scream so loud that people will hear but no one will come to save you. No one here likes you and cares about you. Everyone thinks you're a freak. You might as well off yourself to. The worlds better without a pathetic human like you."

She was once again thrown across the room. Then she was thrown again -And again -And again -And again. Not once did she do more than gasp when her delicate frame hit the walls. She did not scream. She did not cry. She already felt like she was dead and the more the strange man who was hidden by the darkness laughed at her weak body, the more she felt herself slip away. She wasn't sure if it was mentally or physically.

"You were so caught up in your own pain that you didn't even see that your brother was suffering. He needed you and you didn't care. You were too busy being pathetic."

His words hit her worse than those four walls ever could. She felt colder than she ever had before. Was this what dying felt like? Like you were sinking further and further down until you were nothing but numb from the cold? Like you were drowning in a never-ending sea?

"Shit! He took off. I'll try to find him. Go look at the girl."

Who was that?

"She's in bad shape Kuwabara. I need you to pick her up as gently as you can once I give her something to help."

Help? Help what? She was dead wasn't she?

"If you can still hear me, I need you to try to open your mouth for me. There we go."

She suddenly felt warm. She was no longer drowning in an icy sea. She was now floating in warmth and comfort.

She hardly registered the harsh random cursing and quiet soothing word as she drifted off to somewhere where her pain and memories couldn't hurt her anymore; somewhere between life and death.

* * *

><p>"Can you please just help us? You owe us after disappearing for a year."<p>

"Hn, you may be playing spirit detective again but I will not. I come and go as I please." replied a cold, deep unnerving (attractive) voice.

"Oh come on shrimp! You like us and you know it! You always help us in the end!"

"If killing you wouldn't land me a life time in jail I would have already of rid the world of you."

"Hiei, perhaps you can just tell us if the demon had any control over her mind? Maybe he planted ideas that would cause a deep depression," said a smooth voice.

It was quiet for a moment.

"No. The depression was caused all on her own."

"I don't understand why he would go through all the trouble if he could just plant ideas in her head instead of offing the people she loves."

"That stumps me as well Yusuke."

"Maybe he couldn't?"

"I don't see why he couldn't Kuwabara. She's a normal human."

"As always, Kurama has a point."

"Hn, the girls waking up."

The room fell silent as she finally came to. It hurt her to breathe. She missed whatever place she was floating in. It was easier than wherever she was now. She slowly opened her sensitive eyes and found that it felt like weights were on her eyelids. A low groan left her mouth as she finally pried her eyes half-open.

She was met by beady black eyes and a face, that when your half asleep, resembled that of something from a horror movie.

He suddenly stumbled back with his large hands holding his nose. He tripped on his feet and fell down hard. Laughter resonated through the room as Rin stared wide-eyed at the orange headed man on floor. Fear was evident on her feminine features.

"Shut up Urameshi!" the orange headed man yelled at another guy who had slick back black hair.

Rin felt panic rise in the pit of her chest as she looked around at the large white room. It resembled that of a hospital. Her ragged breathing started to increase at the unfamiliar scene and people.

"You need to calm down Miss. I'm afraid that you're not completely healed and any sudden movement can open up your wounds."

Wounds?

She turned her attention to a young man with long red hair and soft green eyes. Almost immediately she felt her body relax. Something about him was calming and gentle.

"Where…" she tried to say but her throat was so dried up that her voice died out.

"That will all be explained. I promise that you are safe," he said gently as he handed her a glass cup of water. She hesitantly took it from his tan hand.

He smiled softly at her before crossing his legs in the chair that he was sitting in by her bed. She took a small sip of the water before drowning the whole thing.

"Wow thirsty much," said the man with slick back hair. He smiled a friendly smile regardless of the mischievous look in his brown eyes.

The orange headed man had obviously forgiven her for the punch to the nose. He smiled an encouraging smile.

Now that she was actually awake and she could fully examine him she found that he didn't look that scary. He wasn't as good-looking as the red headed man beside her, but he wasn't as unsightly as she originally thought.

"I'm sorry," she said softly; so softly that it was almost inaudible by the occupants in the room.

The orange headed man's smile dropped as a look of guilt crossed his face.

"Nah, don't be sorry. I shouldn't have stood over you like that. Don't feel bad," his gruff voice said softly.

"Yeah. Kuwabara's use to his ass getting beat constantly."

"Shut up Urameshi! And don't speak so vulgar in the presence of a lady."

Rin looked around at the three men in the room with her. She frowned. Weren't there four voices?

She could have sworn there was one more that was darker and extremely apathetic to whatever was happening. What exactly was happening? She found it to be a little difficult to recall why she would be in a hospital. It seemed as if all she could bring to mind was her name. She looked at the glass in her hand and her frown deepened. She didn't feel like this a moment ago.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to give a certain peppy grim reaper a spanking for eating my fudge brownies."

She looked up from her cup and her eyes landed on a tall man standing in the door way. His hair was a shaggy brown and it matched his equally stern brown eyes. A JR was in the middle of his forehead. He was wearing strange clothing that was blue and very traditional looking. If she didn't feel so strange than she would have wondered why a grown man had a Binky in-between his lips.

He turned his eyes to her and they immediately softened.

"Hello Miss Suzuki. How are you feeling?"

She blinked in confusion until it registered in her cloudy head that he had asked her a question.

"Fine."

"Do you remember anything from before you woke up?"

"No. I feel foggy," she practically slurred out, but she didn't feel tired, just relaxed and pain-free.

His knowing brown eyes flickered to the red-head beside her for a moment before slowly approaching her on the bed.

"That's normal Rin. You were so beat up that its best for you to remain numb to the pain. A few bones were broken and even though we managed to heal them, the bones could still snap if you put pressure on them at the current time. You have been here for only a couple of days."

She blinked in confusion as she stared down at the blue shorts and light grey t-shirt she was wearing. She had no cast, only a bandage around her upper left thigh and she could faintly see the bandage wrapped around her lower torso. Due to her state she didn't notice that she had miraculously changed cloths and miraculously healed.

"What happened?" she questioned.

Her natural gentle voice had a demanding edge to it. The man before her blinked; slightly taken off guard before clearing his throat.

"You were attacked by an apparition."

Her eyebrow rose as her eyes narrowed slightly, "An apparition?"

"Yes; in other words a demon."

She was silent as she stared blankly at the man before her.

"This certain demon has the ability to get inside of minds and plant horrible ideas. It results in people doing horrible things so he doesn't have to."

"You're lying," she whispered, "Who are you?"

"My name is Koenma. I am the prince of Spirit World. Sitting next you is Kurama, the loud mouth with black hair is Yusuke, and the goofy carrot top is Kuwabara."

"Watch it Binky breath," grumbled Yusuke as he leaned backwards in his chair.

Koenma sighed, "How do I get you to believe me Rin?" he pleaded.

"Proof," she said simply as she stared at him with eyes that clearly said she did not trust him and his words.

"You want proof? Fine, Kuwabara there is a human but he is a spiritually aware human, and therefore processes inhuman powers. He manipulates his energy into a sword that's just as deadly as the real thing."

Right when Koenma had ended his sentence Kuwabara held a glowing orange sword lazily in his hand. Rin's eyes widened as she took in the peculiar scene before her. She couldn't figure out why she wasn't panicking by now.

"Are any of you?" she let her sentence drop off as she stared at Yusuke and then Kurama.

"We are both demons." Kurama said calmly.

Her eyes widened in fear. And here comes the panic.

"Hey now, you don't have to fear us! Not all demons are evil. You can trust us. Isn't that right Kuwabara? He's a human and we haven't killed him yet," Yusuke said with a lazy grin.

"Yeah, these two are solid. I don't know about the shrimp though,"

The shrimp?

"Would you like me to give you a better understanding of how everything works Rin?" Koenma asked patiently.

Not trusting her voice she nodded her head.

She listened intently as he explained about the three worlds.

The Makai was where most of the demons lived. It sounded like a brutal, violent place. How had she not known that there were other worlds and creatures beside her race? How could she have been so oblivious to something that now seemed so obvious? After all of the strange occurrences that have happened all through the years…

He explained how the three men plus one more named Hiei all use to work for him before Yusuke's demon blood awoken. He also explained that everything between the Makai and the human world had been peaceful up until now, and she was the cause.

She found that her head was slowly starting to clear up the more the Spirit World Ruler revealed to her. She found herself staring at her hands as tears streamed down her pale face.

Koenma stopped talking the moment he noticed.

"Does this demon have anything to do with my brother." she said strongly, surprising everyone in the room.

"What?" Koenma asked with shocked eyes.

Regardless of the tears falling from the dark blue ocean that were her eyes, they were strong and angry. They were like the ocean in tsunami season.

"You said this demon can cause people to do horrible thing. You said he can plant thoughts into a weaker mind. Did he make my brother commit suicide?"

Koenma's eyes softened but he had a look that said he was concerned about the girls sudden aggression.

She didn't understand why he would be.

"Yes. We have reasons to believe that he wants to strip you of everything that was worth living for. We're not sure why."

"The accident that I was in with my parents?"

"We believe he had something to do with it, yes."

She fell silent. What else more was there to say? The silent tears continued to fall as realization sunk in. Everything was different now. She had no family left. He had succeeded in striping her of everything she loved, but she still had one thing worth living for.

"I want revenge," her quiet voice demanded, breaking the hushed silence as they waited for her to snap in her grief.

"We'll help you get it Rin," said Kurama from beside her.

She turned to look at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. She nodded slightly at him and returned her gaze to her hands.

"I would like you to stay with a good friend of mine named Genkia. She lives on sacred grounds and it would be impossible for this demon to get to you there."

Rin did not respond immediately.

"Why not," she said softly.

What else did she have to lose? Besides her mind of course...

* * *

><p>It seemed like days had passed since she heard the truth about everything. She hardly slept which only seemed to drag out her stay in the spirit world's hospital. The only ones who visited her were Koenma, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and a purple nurse that nearly made her jump out of the window beside her bed the first time she saw her. At the current time the same purple nurse was humming to herself as she checked Rin's wounds.<p>

"It's all looking good. They're just thin cuts now. Your leg should be able to support you now but don't run or do anything of the sort for a few days unless you want to come back and visit," the nurse joked.

Rin gave her a polite smile, "Yes mam."

The nurse left Rin to her empty thoughts that only lasted for a moment.

"Hello?" an unfamiliar female voice called out.

Rin's head snapped to the doorway where a smiling blue haired, pink-eyed woman stood.

"I wish I could have met you sooner Rin. My name is Boton. Lord Koenma had asked me to get you cleaned up since you'll be leaving for Genkia's today. I figured you would want to get out of those grimy cloths and put on something more fashionable."

Rin smiled at the woman as she stood up from her bed. She was careful to mind her right leg since that was the one that got broken.

"I'm dying for a shower!" Rin teased lightly as Boton started to walk towards her

Boton laughed, "Yeah, no offense, but you look like you need a day at the spa."

"I don't doubt it."

"Here; I brought you something that looked comfortable. We already got everything from your house and have it set up for you at the temple. Mainly Yusuke and Kuwabara did it. I just helped put everything away so you could rest."

Rin nodded in thanks as she took the cloths from the taller woman and headed to the bathroom.

She hummed to herself as she stripped off her clothes and jumped in the shower. She adjusted it and then sighed as the heat of the water met her skin. She loved the heat. It always seemed to sooth her in a way nothing else could.

She washed her waist length curly hair and frowned as she fought to untangle it. She was used to it being soft and silky due to the hair products she put in it. She gently washed her sensitive body. On her right hip there was a long gash.

Well, there was evidence of a long gash.

Now there was a red line that was going to scar. She didn't mind it however. She always had a liking towards scars. They all told a story of their own and hers definitely did. Even if she didn't like the story, which she most definitely did not.

With a small sigh she grabbed a white towel that was on the toilet and got out of the shower. She dried herself off before wrapping her hair in the towel and grabbing the cloths. Her face instantly broke into a grin as she looked at her favorite piece of clothing that she owned. It was a dark blue dress that was tight on her torso (pushing her small breast up so a tiny amount of cleavage showed) and fell loosely to her mid-thigh. It was held up by two thin straps and showed the delicacy and femininity of her shoulders and back.

She stepped out of the bathroom and was met by Boton whose eyes popped out of her head.

"Who would have thought that such a small girl could be so curvy," Boton teased as her pink eyes twinkled in satisfaction.

Rin blushed lightly as she took the towel off of her head.

"I hope you brought something for the mess on the top of my head."

Boton laughed as she dug into a black duffel bag. She pulled out what Rin recognized as her hair detangler and a hair brush.

"A girl always comes prepared!"

Together they fixed Rin's hair and then dried it with a blow dryer. Rin sighed as she ran her fingers through her now silky hair.

"That's better. I feel clean."

"Good. Now the only shoes I could find of yours are these black combat boots," Boton said as she held them up with a frown on her face.

Rin laughed gently before taking the boots from her hands.

"I love my boots. I wear them with pretty much anything. I like the contrast."

She grabbed plain white socks and put them on before gently sliding her boots on her feet.

"Wow, that's actually cute," said a surprised Boton as a grin shot across her face.

Rin smiled back as she stood up from her bed. Boton followed suit and silently they started towards the doorway.

Together they walked down the busy hall. Rin kept her head down and stayed a step behind the bouncing Boton. She hated crowded areas and that included a crowd of running, yelling ogres that were 3 times her size.

They finally stopped walking. She looked up and watched as two extremely large double doors slowly creaked open.

She followed Boton into the room. It was empty besides a single desk that was covered in papers.

"Hello Rin."

She blinked in confusion as she looked around the empty room.

"Down here!"

She blinked again as she looked down to her right. Her eyes were as wide as the moon as she examined the baby over.

He was wearing a tall blue hat and had big brown eyes. He had a JR symbol in the middle of his forehead and a pacifier in his mouth...

"Koe...Koenma?" she stuttered as she took a hesitant step away from the talking baby.

"Yes Rin. I am normally in my adult form but I'm tired and stressed."

"Uh, okay."

Just when she thought it couldn't get any stranger...

"We are going to open a portal for you that will drop you off a little ways from the temple but be on guard. The boys should be there to get you," Koenma said as a strange hole with colorful lights opened in front of her.

Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. It just got weirder...

"Here Rin, don't forget this," Boton said as she handed her the black duffel bag.

She half smiled in thanks as she closed her eyes and stepped into the portal. She felt light for only a moment until she suddenly hit hard ground. She groaned as she opened her eyes. She pushed herself from the ground and stayed on her knees.

With wide eyes she looked around the forest she was in. Something about it seemed off. For some reason she felt like this forest had a mind of its own. The wind blew her hair around her as she stood up from the ground. She brushed the dirt from her cloths and frowned. Where are they? In all honesty, she was freaked out and wanted out of this forest.

"What's the matter little girl? Scared?"

Rin couldn't keep the fear off of her face as she turned around and saw the most hideous creature. It was large, green, had wings, and large eyes that were pure white. Its wide mouth was open, showing a full set of pointy teeth. Yellow drool was oozing out, staining the forest floor. He gave out a gurgled laugh as a humongous clawed hand rose to rest on a very round belly. Her breathing quickened as she started to take a step back.

A sudden flash of black appeared before her, making her fall backwards in surprise. She blinked as she took in the muscular back that was covered by a black shirt with the sleeves ripped carelessly off. The stranger was wearing black pants that were tucked into boots that resembled her own, only theirs were more worn down. She looked past the stranger and gasped in surprise as she took in the now fallen version of the big scary demon that most likely wanted to eat her.

His head was completely severed from his body and she didn't even bother to try to find where it must have gone.

She turned her attention to the stranger who had fully stood up from their fighting stance. She did not expect to see someone so...beautiful, someone so incredibly dark but seemed to have a unique light of their own. She watched how his spiked black hair swayed in the wind which brought the scent of a burning fire to her nose. She had always loved that smell.

She finally turned her attention to his eyes.

God, they were such an enchanting shade of red. Her pulse was beating madly due to those strange eyes, even though they looked at her coldly from over his shoulder. This man who was only a bit bigger than herself had taken down a sky scraper of a demon without a struggle. He was obviously dangerous. He kept his eyes on hers for a moment before putting his sword back in its sheath.

He finally broke eye contact as he faced forward and started to walk off.

"Hn. That fool is too incompetent to be a ruler," he grunted before disappearing into the trees.

"Rin, are you okay? Binky breath never told us where the portal was going to open up," she heard Yusuke yell as he broke into the clearing but she continued to stare up into the trees.

"Whoa! What happened here?" asked Kuwabara as she finally glanced at them before she slowly stood up.

She saw Kurama looking in the same direction she was looking in. His eyes were thoughtful and oddly curious.

"Can we just go?" she asked softly as she grabbed her bag and walked over to them.

"Of course," said Kurama as he turned towards her with knowing eyes.

She looked away from his gazed and turned her attention to the ground.

He was the missing person at the hospital. She was sure of it.


	3. Chapter 2

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter two: Settling in**

"You know, if I were you I would have rather faced demons than have to climb those devil stairs," said Kuwabara as they approached the tall temple.

Rin snorted, "I highly doubt stairs can be that bad."

"Just wait Rin. You're going to have to use those stairs at some point," Yusuke added as he through a lethargic arm over her petite shoulders.

"Maybe you guys are just lazy," she offered as she politely removed his heavy arm.

Yusuke grunted and stuffed his hands in his blue jean pockets. Kurama chuckled lightly, his mirth sparkling in his eyes. Rin looked up at him through her eye lashes and smiled before turning her attention back to the temple, but she just had to trip!

"Owe," she whimpered as she bent her leg weird in an attempt to catch herself.

Yusuke luckily had caught her or else she would have re-broken her leg.

"Are you okay?" Kurama asked as he appeared in front of her. The concern in his eyes made her feel guilty for her klutzy moment.

"I am fine. Please don't worry about me. I trip a lot," she said lightly as she forced a fake smile on her face even though she felt embarrassed.

Her leg was in extreme pain but she didn't want strangers to worry about her more than they needed to. He frowned but dropped the matter as they continued walking. A squeal left her mouth as she was swiftly taken off of her feet. Her eyes were wide at she stared up at a smirking Yusuke. She allowed him to carry her bridal style, silently thanking him for not listening to her. About 10 minutes later they were walking up the front porch of the temple.

"Why are carrying her dimwit?"

Yusuke gently put her on her feet but kept an arm around her waist. She once again silently thanked him as she put her weight on him instead of her right foot.

"She broke her leg and then tripped on the way here. No need to be a bitch Grandma."

Rin looked the small old woman over. Her hair was a dull pink and wavy. Her brown eyes were practically leaking irritation as she glared at Yusuke.

"Rin, meet Master Genkia," Kurama said calmly. The old woman turned her attention to Rin who smiled politely.

"It's nice to meet you. Thank you for allowing me to stay in your home."

The old woman's expression softened slightly, "You're welcome child. Make yourself at home. All of these other dimwits do," she joked, but Rin could still see the seriousness of her words.

Rin laughed gently as she pushed herself away from Yusuke who was opening his mouth to yell at her comment.

"I have a feeling an argument is about to break out. I'm sure you want to get inside and relax," offered Kurama as he put a gentle arm around her waist and allowed her to use him to keep pressure off her still throbbing leg.

"Thank you Kurama,"

"You are welcome Rin,"

They entered the temple.

"It's so empty," Rin mumbled as she looked around the large space. All that was in the room was a good-sized TV and a video game system.

Surly an old woman didn't play video games?

"Master Genkia likes a lot of room. She finds furniture to be a pointless investment."

Rin gave it some thought.

"You know, she is kind of right."

Kurama chuckled as he led her to the right. There was a decent sized kitchen where an aqua haired woman was stirring something on the stove. She turned around and smiled as they approached her and Rin felt giddy when she realized this woman was just as small as her. Once she looked at the girls eyes though she frowned, her giddiness disappearing as she stared into familiar bright red orbs. They were similar to the man who saved her life's eyes, but they were wrong at the same time. Maybe it was because they were warm and full of life instead of cold and stoic? Yes, that's the reason.

"Rin, this is Yukina. She is an ice apparition who stays here with Genkia."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Yukina."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well Rin," she replied in a matching gentle voice. Rin smiled a sincere smile at the sweet ice demon. She already knew they were going to become good friends.

"I'm almost done with dinner."

"We'll be back in a bit Yukina. I'm sure Rin wants to rest a bit," Kurama said with a smile that could melt any girl's heart.

Yukina however seemed unaffected as she smiled back and continued cooking, humming as she stirred.

Kurama then led Rin to a staircase. Rin looked up at the very top with horrified eyes.

"Do you think you can manage them?"

No.

"I believe I can. My legs are just sore. That's all."

She didn't understand why she had to be stubborn and act tough when she truly needed help. Was she so insecure that she had to pretend she was super man? There was nothing wrong with needing help, but it seemed like she was always depending on others. She sighed as together they slowly started to walk up the stairs.

She was thankful that he kept his arm around her because a few times her leg tried to give out from under her. He didn't say anything though she was sure he noticed. He was watching her from the corner of his eye and had a tighter, more secure grip. Rin was relieved when they finally reached the top. She looked down the long hallway full of thick wooden doors.

"Are all of these rooms?"

"Yes they are. We each have our own that we stay in while visiting."

Rin nodded as they walked further down the hall. They stopped at a door on the end that was on the right.

"This is your room," Kurama said lightly as he opened the wooden door.

Rin looked around the room. There was a simple twin sized bed that was covered by her red blanket and white pillows.

The walls were the same as the rest of the temple and the floor was a mahogany wood. There was a simple wooden dresser on the far side of the wall and a large window that was next to her bed.

Rin smiled when she saw that the window overlooked the forest and right outside of the window was a sturdy tree branch. She smiled even brighter when she spotted her guitar under the window.

"You look satisfied," said a very amused Kurama as he looked at her face which reminded him of a child on Christmas Day.

He was happy she wasn't thinking if the horrors she has been forced to face.

"I am," she replied as they walked in her room and to her bed.

Kurama helped her sit down before pulling a seed out of his...hair?

"Can you put your injured leg on the bed for me please?"

"Um, sure."

She slowly did as he asked while keeping her watchful eyes on his hands that cupped the small seed.

She staggered for a moment as she stared at the beautiful purple flower that was now in the place of the seed. She had never seen a flower like this in her 19 years of living. The petals looked silky and ended in rather long points. It resembled a shape of a traditional Japanese fan.

"This is a common plant in the Makai. It's used for sore muscles and bones," he said smoothly as he snapped open the stem.

A think brown liquid started to ooze out and Rin watched in horror as he started to gently rub it on her sore leg. Her eyes almost jumped out of their sockets as it seemed to seep into her flesh.

He chucked, "I apologize for not telling you that I'm a fox demon that can control plants."

Rin turned her playful narrowed eyes to his amused ones.

"Thanks for the heads up," she said sarcastically.

He smiled as he turned towards the doorway. "Rest; I'll come get you for super when it is done."

Rin watched Kurama for a moment until he reached the doorway.

"Kurama?" she called out softly.

"Yes Rin?" he answered back as he turned to look at her over his shoulder.

"Am I...is this...going to get easier? I mean this whole demon thing. It all still seems like a dream."

His eyes softened as he seemed to take a moment to make sure he had chosen the right words to sooth her with.

"It's natural to be afraid and confused. This is going against all you were brought up to believe. It may take time but considering that you handled it better than most, I have faith that you will accept it with due time. Just know that you're not handling this alone. You have all of us to help you when you're not strong enough or you just want a friend."

Rin felt tears whelm up in her eyes as she watched the red-haired man leave her room. She truly appreciated that he had just said that. She whipped her eyes before lying back on her mattress. Even if he had not meant it and only said it for comfort she still appreciated it. She never had friends growing up.

Despite only knowing them for a few days, Kurama and the others are the closest thing to friends she had ever had. When they would visit her in the Spirit World hospital, they would talk to her like they grew up together. It didn't matter to her that they would have nothing to do with her if demons didn't want her for their sick twisted pleasures. Her brother was her best friend and only friend.

Now that she thought about it, Draven was about their age as well. They were four or five years older than her. A light sob escaped her throat. He was gone. He has been gone for a week. He's not coming back. She clutched a pillow to her chest as she started to silently cry.

She let out all the pain for the accident that killed off her parents, the very same one she had witness first hand. She let out her anger and haunting memories that included her brother. She let all of it out, harder than she had since everything fell apart. No matter how hard she tried she just couldn't be strong. That demon was right, she was pathetic. Her eyes eventually dried out. She was completely drained and it resulted in a much-needed dreamless sleep.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Her eyes slowly fluttered open as she stretched on her bed.

"Who would have thought?" she mumbled as she realized that her leg felt good as new. She turned her attention to the window and raised an eyebrow when she saw the moon peeking through. She had slept all day? Wasn't Kurama supposed to come get her? She looked down and saw that she was neatly under her blanket. She could have sworn she had fallen asleep on top of the blanket.

She smiled to herself. Kurama must have seen her asleep and decided to allow her to rest and being the gentleman he was he tucked her in, took off her boots and stuck them neatly against the wall.

She giggled as she got out of the bed and stretched again.

"Hn. Good, you're up. The fox wants you to eat."

Rin's surprised eyes looked up to the doorway. There stood the man from the woods. She was completely speechless as he stared blankly at her, her arms still up due to her stretch. All she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears and all she could concentrate on was the fact that he was standing idly in her door way, his arms crossed as he leaned against the door frame.

"Close your mouth Onna. You look like a fool." he said curtly, his lips turning into a smirk when her face turned bright red.

Just like that he was gone. He left her with one thought as she slowly put her arms down and closed her mouth, which apparently decided to gape at him. What had just happened?

She slowly descended the stairs before entering the kitchen, her eyes looking in very directions as she tiptoed around in the dim lighting.

"I'm glad you're up. Its nearing 10 at night and you haven't eaten all day."

Rin jumped slightly, her head snapping in his direction. He was smiling in amusement as she placed her hand on her racing heart and tried to calm it down before she had a heart attack.

She watched him sit a plate down on a small table that was pushed far off to the side. Obviously not many people bothered to sit at it. Rin walked into the kitchen and headed towards the table and sat down in front of the plate.

"I'm sorry. I was more tired than I thought. Unfortunately now I'm going to have a hard time going back to sleep," she said as she started to eat the noodles on her plate.

Kurama chuckled lightly as he placed a hot cup of tea in front of her.

"I don't think that will be a problem."

She looked up from her food and watched his calm features as she took a sip of her tea. What did he mean by, I don't think that's going to be a problem? Whatever, demons are weird.

They sat in a comfortable silence as she continued to eat her chicken and noodles. It tasted absolutely delectable. Rin felt at ease and satisfied as she finished off the last bit of her tea.

"That was delicious," Rin said happily as she patted her full belly.

"Thank Yukina. She's a wonderful cook."

Rin smile lazily as her head started to feel cloudy. She stifled a yawn as she slowly started to drift off to sleep right there at the table.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," came Kurama's voice but it sounded like it was far away.

Rin had just learned one lesson in being around this group. Never take a drink from Kurama because every time you do you'll feel funny. Despite her desperate attempts to stay awake she just couldn't. She finally drifted into darkness the moment she felt her mattress beneath her. She was going to have a serious talk with him.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Fox."

Kurama looked towards the large window in the main room once he exited the stair case. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the lack of light in the spacious room. Hiei was sitting on it as usual, one leg propped up with an arm resting on top of it. His eyes were closed and his body lax.

"Yes Hiei?"

"The girl caught on. She knows you put something in her drink."

Kurama chuckled, "Rin is a very intelligent and strong-willed girl. I figured it would be a matter of time before she would."

Hiei grunted but did not respond. Sensing that the conversation was over, Kurama decided to ask his longtime friend a question.

"Hiei, I thought you weren't playing spirit detective? Why are you still here?"

"Hn. I don't have to explain myself to you fox, but if you must know, I want to relax and get away from Mukuro. I can only take so much of that woman's ego."

Kurama smiled as he got the true meaning of Hiei's words. He had missed them. But of course the fire demon would never voice it to Kurama. He didn't have to. That was the kind of relationship you had to have with Hiei, and the long years of fighting beside him has allowed Kurama to understand his moody half replies.

"One more question Hiei."

"What," he grumbled as he opened his eyes and put them on the observant fox demon.

"Why were you in Rin's mind? Surly a human wouldn't interest you?"

Hiei did not answer. He simply turned to look out of the window. That was the only reaction Kurama needed in order to know what the fire demons actions were fueled by.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Wake up!"

Rin screamed as her fist connected with something hard. She opened up her clenched eyes and stared up at the roof in confusion. Boisterous laughter erupted in the room, the sound harsh and loud to her still half sleep body. She turned towards the noise and saw Yusuke lying on the floor clutching his gut as he laughed hysterically. Lying next to him was a sprawled out Kuwabara who was holding his bleeding nose.

"What's going on?"

Rin looked to the open door way and saw a concerned Kurama and an amused Genkia. Standing up against the wall outside of the room was the guy from the woods. She pieced together by now that he must be Hiei.

"Man," laughed Yusuke, "You should have seen it. I've never seen a girl throw suck a kickass punch."

Rin's cheeks turned red in embarrassment as everyone turned their amused eyes to her timid form on the bed. Her mouth went to open but she had nothing to say. She would sound like a babbling idiot anyway so she just remained quiet.

"Hn. Leave it to the fool to get beaten by a normal human girl when she is sleeping."

Rin turned her eyes to Hiei's. He was staring straight at her, his eyes full of amusement and satisfaction. She shyly looked away from his gaze and stared down at her twiddling thumbs.

"Shut up shrimp! I wasn't expecting her to punch me in her sleep!" yelled Kuwabara as he suddenly hopped up from the floor.

"Perhaps the first time she punched you in her sleep would have been enough to teach you not to stand over her when she wakes up?"

"Hey, don't gang up on me Kurama!"

So Hiei is who Kuwabara meant when he said shrimp? If he's a shrimp than she'd hate to hear what he'd call her.

"Rin, Rin? Hello?"

Her head snapped up. The only person in her room now was Yusuke. He was staring at her with a, "what the hell!" expression. She smiled sheepishly at him.

"I'm sorry Yusuke. I'm hardly awake."

"Right. Well today my wife Keiko and Kuwabara's older sister are coming by for a laid back barbeque. Boton will most likely drop by knowing her. I figure we all needed a day to wine down. They should be here in about an hour."

"Oh. That sounds wonderful."

"Yeah. Yukina could really use some help. We have to make a lot of food," said Yusuke as he smiled to himself before walking out of her room.

Rin shrugged it off and walked over to her dresser. She grabbed a pair of low hip hugging dark blue jeans and a white loose spaghetti strap shirt. She tied her hair back into a low ponytail and then put her boots on the outside of her pants.

She felt tired mentally, regardless of how much sleep she had received. She felt like an empty, hollow shell and she almost missed the pain she had been in for the last couple months of her life. Being numb made her feel like she was dead. She didn't want to be dead just yet.

She sighed and plastered a smile on her face. Maybe today she can unwind and have some fun. Yes, today she will try to pretend like everything was great.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Rin and Yukina worked together preparing the food. They laughed together as Rin accidentally tripped and spilt some of her tea on the floor. They had paid no attention to the others that were doing whatever it was they were doing. Rin was more right than she knew when she said her and Yukina would be great friends. Yukina told her the stories of her heritage and the ice village. She was sad when she told her of her missing brother. Rin could never image not knowing who her brother was. However, the look that flashed through the ice apparition's face made Rin think that Yukina knew more than she let on.

She also told Rin about her and Kuwabara's relationship. It sounded beautiful to Rin. It may have taken Yukina a long time to understand the affection he was sending her but the best things in life are the things that aren't easy at first. At least that's what Yukina and Kuwabara's relationship showed her. He really must love her considering that he's just happy being with her even if Yukina is not his wife. That's devotion; being with someone who can't take that next step with you and being happy with them. Rin hoped that someday she could have a love that strong; possibly stronger.

"Yusuke, you jerk!"

Rin jumped when she heard a big, BANG!

"Good! Keiko and Shizuru must be here," said a smiling Yukina as she picked up a tray of food and Rin followed suit.

Rin's eyes were huge and confused as she took in Yusuke's large form on floor.

His cheek had a bright red hand print painted on one side and his eyes were practically flashing the T-K-O symbol. Standing over him was a seething small woman with long brown hair that was tied back and large angry brown eyes. Her hand was still raised into the air as she glared at the demon on the floor. Rin examined the condition of the woman. She was extremely, extremely pregnant. Is that what Yusuke meant when he said that they needed lots of food?

"That's what you get for making inappropriate comments kid," said a tall woman with long brown hair and an unlit cigarette in-between her lips.

Snickers were passed around the room and judging by Kuwabara's red cheeks and wide eyes Yukina and Rin had just missed something very unholy. The two girls glanced at each other before shrugging and ignoring the laid out demon on the floor as they stepped around him with the food.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"So Rin, how old are you?" Keiko asked as the girls sat together on a big blanket at the back of the temple. "I'm 19. I'll be 20 in a couple of months actually."

"Oh, to be 19 again," mumbled Shizuru as she puffed on her cigarette.

Everyone had just finished eating and the boys were off somewhere while the girls were having girl time. It was strange to Rin. She had never even spent the night at a friend's house because she never had one. Now these women accepted her without a question, but then again, one was a demon, one was married and barring a child by a demon, one was the grim reaper and the other is tough and spiritually aware. Of course they would accept her "strange behavior" as her past school mates had called it.

Rin smiled but it soon faded when she felt eyes on her back. She turned around and looked up into the trees with a frown on her face. The girls didn't notice her sudden distraction as she continued to scan, but of course nothing was there. At least nothing that would allow itself to be shown.

"Rin, do you want to go with us to the beach in a few days? There's one right by the temple."

Rin turned her attention to Boton and plastered on a smile.

"I would like that Boton. I haven't seen a beach since I was a small child."

Boton smiled and Rin turned her attention to the trees once more.

She could have sworn she saw a flash of black but the moment she blinked it was gone. With a frown she turned her attention back to the four women talking excitedly about a shopping trip.

Hiei almost flinched when the human girl's dark eyes landed on his figure up in the tall tree. She couldn't see him, so why did he feel like she knew he was there? It was almost as if it was on a subconscious level. It's not like such a weakling could see him on any other kind of level. Their eyes are too weak. He wanted to say that his reason for being so curious about the little human was simply because she was insignificant and weak.

What would a demon want her for? She held no great power. She didn't know demons existed. She obviously was a normal human girl who the other humans shunned away. At least that's what her thoughts and memories had shown him. It was practically like she screamed her thoughts at him. He should make her pay for ruining his relaxing solitude.

She continued to stare at him without blinking, and he couldn't help but notice that her eyes were a window to everything she felt. If she was slightly surprised, she showed it. Right now she was confused and suspicious, and he saw it very well.

He hated that about her. Doesn't she know that enemies will take advantage of that? Emotions are a degrading weakness that is more of a liability than an asset. He watched as the annoying blue haired woman asked her something about a beach. How the moronic deity believed her smile was beyond him. She was obviously indifferent about the trip.

He narrowed his eyes at her before he flitted away from the tree and to another one far away from her. Yes, she is insignificant and he does not trust her. That is his only reason he was staying. Once he knows that this demon is not a threat to him he planned to return to the demon world. This time he just might not come back.


	4. Chapter 3

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 3: Fun Day Ruined (Things get Revealed)**

_The tender wind blew her long hair around her small frame. It whipped gently around her curvy hips in an elegant dance, almost like the flow of a current. Her eyes were closed as she listened to the winds soft whispers and the trees sway in response._

_They were speaking to her; calming her; caressing her. She had never felt so at peace; so soothed; so satisfied. She was in a misty forest and here she cannot be found by those who wish to harm her._

_"Onna, why are you out here alone? Do you not know of the danger you are in for being so careless?"_

_She felt a soft smile on her lips as she took in the gruff voice that was obviously laced with worry._

_"Relax. I just needed to feel the wind. Nothing can hurt me here. I just want to experience as much as I can while I still have time," she said softly, her smile sad and still extremely gentle._

_Her calm body quickly stiffened as lips were now on her ear._

_"You will not be taken from me. You are mine. You are mine Rin," he whispered huskily as he nipped on her ear._

_She was overwhelmed and dizzy as the erotic and extremely arousing scent of burning wood and forest corrupted her scenes. She leaned back against the heated body as a moan escaped her mouth. Oh how she had been waiting for this. Waiting for him to finally act on the feelings and desire he tried so desperately to hide._

_"I love you," she whispered lightly._

_His lips stopped kissing her neck affectionately._

_"What...what did you just say?"_

_She sighed as his lips spoke the words softly against her skin. She had surprised him; possibly even scared him. But she wouldn't be able to face the disaster that will soon catch up to her, not if that jerk didn't know that somehow she had fallen head over heel in-love with him. She turned around slowly and opened her eyes._

_"I said I love you. I love you more than life itself, and I want you to take me. Right here, right now, while there is still time. Don't run away from me, for this one night don't run away."_

_She was lost in his intense crimson eyes as they stared at her in disbelief. She knew that he only knew of possession and lust. For right now, she wasn't going to think that he may not love her back. For right now, none of that mattered. Her eyes went wide as his soft lips crashed on to hers in a way that they never had before. She had never seen this cold fire demon show such passion and heat that wasn't out of anger. She had told him time and time again what an annoying contradiction he was. She was practically melting._

_I hope you're prepared to face your number one downfall. There's no going back from this Onna._

_In response to his words that his husky voice spoke in her mind, she closed her eyes and deepened the kiss. She was fully aware, and if she survived to see the end, she just might be wondering what the hell she was thinking. But she had no time for regrets. He was coming for her. She could feel it._

She shot straight up in her bed, her hand on her racing heart, her eyes wide and panic-stricken as she tried to calm her breathing. What kind of dream would affect her so much, almost to the point that it scared her? What was worst was she couldn't remember it. She always remembered her dreams, and none of them made her feel so happy, sad, scared, and something quite embarrassing to the young girl.

She knew sex was natural and so was arousal, but there's only so much a virgin is comfortable with. She drew that line at anything after having the Bird and Bee's talk which was embarrassing enough considering her brother was the one giving it to her. He was over protective, regardless of the fact that she was never crushed on. Guys never found her appealing. She frowned as she remembered showing up for class at her junior high school.

The moment she was in hearing distance to the students they would start the teasing, yelling, and not to mention hitting her though she refused to fight back. She just took it without a single cry or smart-aleck word. The moment her parents saw the black eye that a violent girl by the name of Amaya gave her, they took her out and started to home school her. Well, they got a homeschooling teacher to do it from their house. Her mother only did it because her brother threatened her but Rin did not care about any of that.

There was not a day that she was not called ugly, worthless, a disappointment, a stupid...WHORE! She had never even been with a man! They were too busy calling her revolting! With a tired sigh she ran a hand through her hair, a habit she didn't even realize she had, however the heated gaze of the fire demon outside of her window had already noticed and he added it to his long list of things he hated about her.

He was hidden up in the trees as he watched the girl sit in silence with a look of pure depression on her face. He didn't care to read her thoughts. He was quite sure that she was thinking and dreaming of nothing important. He scowled as he once again, cursed at the stupid smug fox.

_"Hiei, we all have to get back to our jobs. We can't return until next weekend. Since you're temporarily staying here I would like for you to keep an eye on Rin. Her behavior concerns me. I fear that if anything should happen that she will snap and go insane."_

The fire demon scoffed as he watched the girl stand up from her bed. She was in a large white tee-shirt that fell to her knees. There was nothing special about the girl. Why was he following the fox's orders and watching her? He could be far, far away from the feeble girl and keep an eye on her with his jagon. With a grunt the small fire demon jumped to another tree, away from the disgusting human as she started to undress. Does she not even think to close her damn window curtain?

The little stupid human burden will be off of his shoulder today at least. That fox (that must have a wish for death) will be returning. He was starting to regret his choices in staying in the polluted nasty planet that was the Human World.

"I need to kill something," he grumbled as he took off to the forest.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Hello, Hello, Hello! Who's ready for the beach? I was thinking we should camp-out like we use to," exclaimed a very chipper Boton, who kept blubbering on and on without taking a break for breathing.

Rin just raised her eyebrow at the deity and looked to Kurama who was smiling affectionately at her. It was 9 in the freaking morning! Who's that happy in the morning?

"That sounds wonderful to me Boton. It's not too hot of a day so I should be fine as long as I stay hydrated and out of the sun," said a smiling Keiko.

Yusuke subconsciously put his hand on his wife's large belly before gently wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"I could use a wind down. As long as we bring some beers, perhaps some sake," said Yusuke who got a very harsh glare from Keiko.

Rin smiled when she saw him flinch slightly.

"I'm with Urameshi. I've had a hard week with all the animals getting hurt and being brought in to our vet," said Kuwabara whose eyes actually started to mist with water.

Yukina gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

"Anything to get you dimwits out of my temple," mumbled Genkia as she walked out of the only furnished room in the temple.

Genkia told her that she got so sick of the group bothering her about being bored and not having a couch, that she allowed them a small room in the temple to do as they please. She believed her exact words were, "Those dimwits kept pissing me off so I told them to pick a room and leave me the hell alone." Rin found that she adored the older woman. She couldn't stop laughing by the bluntness of her words.

Everyone went to go get whatever it was that they needed for spending the night at the beach. All of the females were exited and squealing while the men just grunted about beer and hotdogs (Kurama not included). Of course, Rin kept her excitement to herself and was still tired and sluggish. Truthfully all the females were giving her a headache. She hated the mornings.

Rin went up to her room and grabbed her duffel bag and threw it on her bed. She went to her dresser and got out her blue and black striped bikini. She quickly stripped off her clothes which she shouldn't have bothered to put on since they were supposed to go to the beach today. She always seemed to forget things like that.

She opened up another drawer and grabbed a while strapless sun dress. She put it on over her bathing suit and slipped on some old sandals that she had (the only time she ever touched them were for occasions like this) and then she pulled out a grey t-shirt and some long blood-red basketball shorts that reached under her knees. She put them in her bag with other necessary garments and then with an exited smile, ran out of her bedroom.

She had never done something like this before. Her brother use to camp out with her in the backyard, but she had never done this! She had never been with a group of people who all actually seemed to like her. She couldn't wait to get to know them better.

Rin was almost at the bottom of the stairs before her sandal got caught on the third to last step, her mind far away and her eyes unfocused due to still being tired. She should have known better than to allow herself to become distracted!

A light squeal left her parted mouth as she closed her eyes and prepared herself for the fall. And this was why she always wore her boots! She didn't fall...as much.

If the floor could talk it would tell her, "Hello Rin! My life as a floor is boring so I like to make you fall for my own amusement. You are actually as graceful as a cat. That's why I have to break your nose and embarrass you all of the time."

Needless to say Rin was mystified when her hard meeting with the floor was never met.

She slowly became aware of the strong warm arms that were wrapped around her waist. She could hardly breathe as she took in the scent of burning wood and a light hint of forest. It was the best smell she had ever took the liberty in smelling. Why did it smell almost familiar?

Rin opened her eyes and looked up, and of course he had to be the one to save her, again. She avoided his cold red eyes, not wanting to get caught up in them like she knew she would.

"Thank you. That wouldn't have felt very good, what with the steps and all," she mumbled, almost shyly.

This was the first time she had seen him in about a week and she had never even spoken a word to him.

"Hn."

Her eyes snapped up to his in slight aggravation.

"You could at least say a real word you know! I didn't ask you to catch me," she complained, annoyed that the first time they could actually have a conversation he just grunts.

His eyes narrowed slightly and the next thing she knew her face was hitting the ground.

"Ouch…" she mumbled as she slowly sat herself on her knees and rubbed her now sore nose.

She glared up at the fire demon that was now smirking at her like he had just beaten her at a game of hide and seek…That jerk.

She decided that she liked him better when he was not around. That ass caught her just to let her fall anyway. Why the hell did he catch her to even begin with?

With an angry sigh and a quick glare at the ground (in her mind it was laughing at her) she picked herself up and walked to where the others were at, not even giving the fire demon a glance. It only made him smirk harder.

Jerk...

* * *

><p>"Uh guys, I'm not so sure about this, it looks cold and were really high up. I think I want to get use to the water first," Rin mumbled as she looked down at the temporarily calm ocean from up on some high pointy, jagged rocks.<p>

"Oh come on Rin! You can't back out now. You'll only let yourself down if you don't go through with it. Not to mention this is the best way to get use to the water!" encouraged Kuwabara from her left.

"Yeah. What the big oaf said," mocked Yusuke from the right.

Rin sighed and blocked out their small bickering.

She. Was. TERRIFIED!

How did she even get into this ridiculous mess? Oh yeah, they ganged up on her and told her to live a little and that she needed to be more daring. Damn.

"Alright, alright, but can you two jump with me just in case I can't fight the currents? Or just in case my heart stops?" she asked in the most defeated voice she had ever heard herself use.

Her pride would not let her turn around and do what was OBVIOUSLY safe. She once again cursed her stubborn personality.

"Of course!" exclaimed Kuwabara as he grabbed her small hand.

Rin reached for Yusuke's and he almost laughed when he felt her hands shaking in fear, but he felt respect for the small young human. She was not letting her fears over rule her despite how obvious it was that she was scared. Not to mention that she didn't pretend like she wasn't terrified and she asked them for help.

"On the count of 3," said Kuwabara.

"Screw that!" yelled Yusuke as he jumped off, dragging the other two who were screaming in furry and fear behind him.

**15 minutes later…**

"I should kick your ass! You knew how scared I was and decided to just jump off like some...damn bird! Gah, stop running from me!"

"Oh my," mumbled Boton as she watched the small and normally polite Rin chase an ecstatic, hysterical Yusuke around.

"You look like a drowned cat!" he laughed as he collapsed on the sand and began to roll around in his hysterics while clutching his gut as tears fell down his flushed face.

"Shut the hell up!" she screamed angrily.

"Wow, she is actually kind of scary when she's mad," said Kuwabara as he sat with everyone else at the side lines.

"I think she's adorable. If I wasn't pregnant I would be kicking his butt to. Do you hear that little babies? Daddy is an insensitive jerk," Keiko cooed gently as she rubbed her pregnant belly.

"You asshole!"

Everyone's eyes became comically wide as the small human girl tackled the now horrified Yusuke who was almost up from the ground.

"Man, if Shizuru was here she would be having a field day," Boton said quietly as she took in the scene in absolute surprise.

"So would Master Genkia," Kurama said as he gently bit his thumb so he wouldn't laugh but his eyes betrayed his amusement.

Boton and Kurama looked at each other and burst out laughing as they watched Rin choke the starry-eyed demon on the ground. Everyone soon joined in but that didn't stop Rin from releasing her anger on the sorry bastard who caused it.

About 30 minutes later, after they finally calmed the now embarrassed Rin down, the females were playing in the ocean as the guys found fire wood.

"So you're having twins?" asked Rin as she splashed the water gently around with her hands.

"Yup, one is a boy and ones a girl. I can't wait. Yusuke may be a jerk but he is going to be a wonderful father. I know he's excited and a little worried since his father walked out on him and his mom," Keiko said gently as she looked up at the now setting sun.

"I may not have known Yusuke for long, but he didn't even hesitate to treat me like a part of the gang. He was really the first one besides Kurama who made me feel welcomed."

"He's wonderful. I use to be so uncertain when we found out he was a demon. He left for the demon world and I was so sure that I couldn't wait for him. Why should I? I had waited for him my whole life. Just waiting for him to come around and realize how he felt about me."

Rin frowned when she saw the tears running down the beautiful woman's face.

Keiko was smiling a contradicting happy smile as she remembered the days when she had to watch him fight and risk his life, when he would always skip school and he would completely piss her off. And now, they were finally married and starting a family of their own.

She had accepted that he was a demon and their children would have spiritual powers along with demonic. They would not have a normal family and she was happy about it. She loved every part of Yusuke including the darker parts of him. She would go wherever he and her family went. She knew someday they would be removed from the human world and she was prepared to follow him to the end of the world if that's where they had to go.

Rin watched the taller woman in confusion as her face switched between many different emotions. Perhaps it's because she was pregnant? Or maybe Rin was just emotionally stupid? Both sounded possible.

"Hey Rin; there is a jelly fish!" yelled a very exited Yukina.

Rin smiled at the demon as she stared at the creature, the wonder and amazement on her face making her look like a child seeing it for the first time.

Rin could honestly say that Yukina is the closest thing to a best friend she had ever truly had. They spent every day together and talked about nothing but everything. All of the girls were great, but she was not only around Yukina more, but she felt like she was SUPPOSED to be good friends with Yukina.

"Hey, Boton?" Rin asked as she continued to watch the jelly fish swim around.

"Yeah?" questioned Boton as she turned around to look at her since she was a little deeper in the ocean, yet it came to her hips.

Where Rin was at it came to her hips. Sometimes she hated being short.

"Do you and Kurama have a thing?"

Boton's eyes became shocked and her mouth opened wide as she tried to sputter out an answer to the unpredictable question.

"Wha...what?" she squeaked.

"Yeah Boton; you two have been sending each other rather lovely glances," teased Keiko who was now out of memory lane.

"He looks at you so sweetly," said Yukina who had forgotten about the jellyfish.

Boton was silent as her cheeks turned bright red which contradicted the shadow's forming in her eyes.

"Watch out!"

Rin watched in slow motion as Boton's face quickly changed to one that was clearly horrified.

Rin felt something hard hit her back; making her fall face first into the water which happily swallowed her up. She opened her eyes and ignored the stinging as the salt water hit her eyes.

She would have opened her mouth in fear if she weren't under water. Despite the fact that it was getting dark outside, there was the brightest light blue light that was above her and lighting up her whole vision. Oh god! What was happening? What was that light?

A hand quickly and roughly grabbed her arm, pulling her up out of the cold water quite harshly. She clenched her eyes as the pain shot through her skinny arm.

"Let go!" she screamed to the rough hand, but another hand went around her mouth, slightly more gentle.

"Shut up Onna. We need to go."

Hiei?

He swept her up off of her feet in a quick sudden motion. She hardly had enough time to see Yukina who was in Kuwabara's arms and Boton who was holding onto Kurama. Where were Keiko and Yusuke?

A whimper left her lips when blood hurling screams reached her ears. She couldn't help but have tears leak silently out of her eyes. Something was seriously, seriously wrong.

Hiei glance down at the human in his arms. He could practically smell the fear coming from her. She was confused and scared. He could understand why she would be terrified, but it was weak to subscribe to such emotions.

Rin clung to the warmth of the fire demon as he took off at an incredible, impossible speed. She kept her eyes closed and buried her face in his chest, not even caring if he was bothered by it.

Her breathing was starting to get ragged as the air hit her wet body. It felt like ice needles stabbing her repeatedly, making her a strange numb that still seemed to be painful.

He stopped after only a moment of running when it took the group almost an hour to hike the trail to the beach. Surprisingly he didn't put her down. She was happy because she was shaking so bad she would just fall to the ground in a puddle.

She felt her body gently hit something soft. Her dress was smoothly but swiftly removed from her shaking form as something extremely warm was placed over her icy body.

"Is she okay?" she heard Kuwabara asked.

"She looks cold. She's shivering," whispered Yukina.

Good, they made it safely.

"If she doesn't get warm she will get sick," grunted Hiei.

"Where are the others?" asked Genkia.

"They stayed behind so they could protect Keiko while Yusuke fought."

Fought? Fought what? What the hell is going on?

It only took Rin a few more moments before she was considerably warmer. Her eyes slowly opened right as Kurama and a wild-looking Boton came through the door. Kurama gently put Boton down who didn't waste any time in running to Rin's side.

"You poor thing!" she fussed as she pushed Rin's long wet hair away from her face.

"Where's Urameshi and Keiko?" asked Kuwabara who was standing protectively next to Yukina.

"He had to run a little slower due the Keiko's condition," said Kurama as he took in Rin's appearance who was laying on a futon on the floor.

With a certain fire demons cloak wrapped around her.

"How are you feeling Rin?" he asked as he sent the fire demon in question a secret glance.

"Fine," she said quietly.

"Here," huffed Yusuke as he walked through the door with Keiko protectively in his arms.

"What the hell happened?" asked Genkia.

"We were attacked by a group of demons," Yusuke stated grumpily as he sat Keiko gently on her swollen feet.

"Yusuke, they know where she is being kept…"

Everyone turned their eyes to the teenage version of the Spirit World prince.

"Oh…" he mumbled as he took in the angry and terrified stares of the large group.

Something told him that he may have been just a tad late.

"As always you're late," Kuwabara grumbled as he narrowed his beady eyes at the now sweating deity.

"How did they find her?" asked Kurama who was the calmest one besides Genkia who was sipping tea next to Rin who looked horrible and pale blue.

He frowned, "They had trackers who found her, but when you guys saved her at her house the demon recognized who you were. They know that we are involved."

"Have you found out why they are after her sir?" asked Boton, who was petting Rin in attempts to comfort the human girl.

If she was not feeling so horrible she would have told Boton to quit. She was not a fucking cat!

Koenma's face darkened drastically as he turned his eyes Rin's.

"You have another being sharing your soul and body with you. This being is rare, an ancient magical demon that has dark powers that are strong enough to eliminate the three worlds. They want that power and they will do whatever it takes to get it from you."

Rin couldn't believe what she was hearing. Things like this don't happen in her world!

"How would they get it from her?"

Rin's eyes snapped to the fire demon that was standing beside her fragile frame on the floor. He glanced at her slightly with an incomprehensible expression. The red was brighter than she had ever seen it.

"They kill her. If she dies the demon hiding in her will awaken, and then we are all screwed."


	5. Chapter 4

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 4: His Own Contradiction**

What? What? WHAT?

The room looked like it was spinning and everything was out of focus. None of it made sense. How could this happen to her? These things just don't fucking happen! She wanted to ask how. She couldn't speak and ask it though. She was going to die. She was going to die. She was going to die because of a demon living inside of her body.

HER BODY WAS NOT A FUCKING APARTMENT COMPLEX!

"I think she's hyperventilating!"

The words sounded fuzzy and out of focus. Everything was out of focus. She was going to die.

**Calm yourself Onna. You're already at risk of getting sick. If you keep stressing yourself out than you will get ammonia. You're no use to us dead.**

What the hell? Why is a guy speaking to her in her mind? Why does he sound like...Hiei?

**Hn. You're a moron.**

That's most definitely Hiei.

"Rin, are you okay?" asked a very worried Yukina who was kneeling in front of her with large eyes that showed her concern and fear.

She blinked away the moistness in her eyes and turned her attention to the smirking fire demon that was looking straight ahead of him.

"Yeah, I'm better now."

Just voices talking to her in her head. You know; the normal...

"See what you do, Binky Breath? You could have prevented tonight if you would have just been doing your fucking job! What the hell do you do up there? Make everyone change your damn diaper so no one can do their job? Huh?" yelled Yusuke, who looked like he was about to punch his use to be boss.

His brown eyes were wide and dark as the veins in his arms began to budge.

"Calm down Yusuke. We need to work together, not fight."

"Shut the hell up you hippie carrot top! No one asked for your input."

"Yusuke Urameshi!" screeched Keiko whose face was red in anger.

He immediately shut up.

Koenma looked at Rin with pure guilt on his face. He didn't mean for this to happen or for her to almost have a severe panic attack. This situation is bad for anyone, but so much worst for a young girl who couldn't even defend herself.

"Is there anything you want to know Rin? Anything you may want that will make this horrible situation any better?"

She kept her face blank as she tried to sort out her thoughts, "How did this demon get inside of me?"

"We are not really sure. The darkness and power that resides in the demon is extreme. We can't understand why they would choose such a pure heart to contain them. Your will must be unnaturally strong in order to keep them locked up in your body. However, this demon seemed to have been bonded with your soul. They are a part of you, and you apart of them. The only way this could happen is if you both accepted each other. There is no possible way for this to happen unless it was a magical bond that existed before your own existence. The biggest question of all is how you came in contact with this demon in the first place."

Rin tried to take this information in as slowly and calmly as she could. The sympathetic and observant stares she was getting was enough to make her want to scream, shout, and loose her mind.

"So if she has a demon sharing her soul that mean's the demon was unable to reach her mind. That was why he attacked her family."

"Very good Yusuke," said Koenma with surprise in his eyes.

"Hey, Kurama's not the only one who can figure shit out!"

"Hold on! I told you guys that maybe he couldn't reach her mind a long time ago! I was right!" yelled Kuwabara as he pointed a large finger at Yusuke and Kurama who were pretending like they didn't know what he was talking about.

Hiei found this news disturbing. How is it that this demon could not get inside of her mind yet...Hiei had full access to anything that he wanted? He looked down at the seemingly harmless human who was staring blankly down at her lap, her posture limp and weak. There was more to her than the dope running Spirit World knew. Odds are the pathetic human didn't even know. He opened up his Jagon and unnoticeable entered her mind.

**I can't believe this is happening. How is there an all-powerful demon inside of me? Where does he even fit?**

Hiei almost snorted out loud as he heard her amusing (and disturbing) thoughts.

He traveled deeper into her mind. The mind was always a strange place to enter. Every mind had a different layout. It all depended on how many memories they had and how often they remembered them. Some were neatly organized and others were chaotic. Some had a color theme and some were dull.

This specific human mind was a cold stone corridor that had barely any light. All along the narrow hall were doors that were all unlocked and almost worn down. She obviously lived in the past and constantly remembered past happenings.

Hiei mentally traveled down the corridor until he found something quite peculiar. At the end of the corridor was a large strong metal door that was at least 5 times bigger than the normal doors. It was covered in chains and locks and appeared to have a bright yellow force field in front of it; a force field that the little human could never have made.

He tried to approach it, but the force field gently pushed him back.

He was starting to sweat as he fought against it, but it was too strong and only kept pushing back with the same amount of strength that he used to push forward.

Hiei quickly left the girl's mind.

He was breathing quicker than normal and he felt like he was in there for hours, even if it was only a minute at the most.

His eyes landed on the fox's knowing green orbs. They both headed outside of the temple, unnoticed by everyone who was now in a deep discussion about getting drunk and lighting up the mood. They wouldn't be missed.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~

"Come on Rin! Live a little!" slurred a tipsy Yusuke as he shoved an alcoholic drink her way.

"That's not working again you prick," Rin grumbled.

She felt horrible. Her head hurt and felt very heavy. She had taken a warm bath and changed into warm cloths and been told that she does indeed have a small fever. Needless to say she was grumpy and it showed.

"Leave her alone Yusuke. She's sick and tired," scolded Keiko who was sitting next to her on the couch, rubbing her back like a mother would.

"Whatever," Yusuke grunted as he turned clumsily away and went to go sing an off-key Christmas song with Kuwabara. He was even more wasted than Yusuke.

"You know, I haven't seen Puu in a while."

Rin looked at the woman next to her in confusion.

She obviously was thinking out loud. Seeing Rin's confused look she decided to fill her in.

"Yusuke was given an egg that contained a spirit beast. We call him Puu and he is usually around here somewhere due to the fact that when Yusuke's demon blood woke up, Puu turned from a cute little thing to a giant bird."

Rin couldn't help but wish that she could get a spirit beast. It sounded cool to have a pet that was you in a strange way.

Rin looked around the chaotic room and saw everyone (minus Koenma and Boton) but two people who were usually off to the side was gone. Where were Hiei and Kurama?

~~W~~W~~W~~

"What did you see Hiei?" Kurama asked to the silent demon standing next to him.

"Her mind is very open to me, yet that demon couldn't even get through. It seemed odd so I entered her mind."

Kurama furrowed his eyebrows as the fire demons words played themselves in his calculating head. That was very peculiar indeed.

"There is only one door that is locked in her mind. It is chained to hell and back and is larger than all the rest. It has a yellow force field around it, keeping whatever is inside trapped. It's demon energy. An energy that was almost too much for even an S class like me to handle."

Kurama eyes widened as the fire demon turned his narrowed eyes to him.

"That demon is keeping itself locked inside of her. Not the other way around."

Kurama had a very strong feeling that the Spirit World prince did not have all of the information. He was missing very important details.

"I must tell Koenma at once Hiei. Perhaps you should come with me just in case he has questions that I cannot answer."

"Hn."

The fox demon could see the displeasure on his friends face, but he didn't disagree or argue. Hiei was extremely curious and Kurama wondered if he had somehow made this personal without even realizing it.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"WHAT!" Koenma yelled in furry and disbelief.

He couldn't believe what the two demons in front of him were saying! It was crazy and absolutely unheard of. But then again, this is an ancient demon that is fluent in magic.

"That may not be such a bad thing sir. If the demon is keeping itself inside of Rin, than they obviously have no intentions of hurting her and the three worlds."

Kurama smiled at the blue headed deity who despite her ditzy ways is actually quite intelligent; in her own way. Koenma sat back in his chair and fell silent.

"That makes sense. Still, there is no way of really knowing. The only way is if somehow Rin makes contact with the demon, and I'm afraid to see what would make that happen."

"Maybe we can get her in a meditative state and she will go deep enough inside of her mind and contact it," offered Kurama, his voice low as he racked his brain for more possibilities.

That did not have many since she was a simple human girl.

"Hn. That would be dangerous for an armature to do. She would probably get lost in her own mind and be trapped."

"Hiei's right." mumbled Koenma as he rubbed his worn out eyes.

"Looks like we're just going to have to wait and see if they come out on their own," Boton mused as a frown developed on her face.

"That's the only thing we can do. If the death of her family and being attacked doesn't bring the demon out, I can only imagine what will."

~~W~~W~~W~~

"WHAT!"

"Guys, be quite. Keiko and Rin are sleeping and not to mention Rin's ill," scorned Yukina as she stared at Yusuke and Kuwabara with stern crimson eyes.

Kurama had just filled them in to Hiei's discovery. Just like Koenma they were completely shocked and confused. Even to him it made no sense. His soul was bonded with the human Shuichi, but this seemed different. Rin and the demon were bonded, but completely separate beings. It was a very confusing matter.

"We are going to have to keep a very watchful eye on her now. This is more serious than we thought," whispered Kuwabara.

He didn't want to make his lovely upset again.

"He's right," mumbled a now sobering Yusuke. He hated when there was a buzz kill, but this was more important than getting wasted.

This was about a demon living in a powerless friend.

"There is no point in obsessing over it now. We have no choice but to put Rin on lock down and leave her demon situation alone and up to her. We need to keep her safe," stated Kurama.

They all fell into silence; each wondering how such a wonderful day could so easily turn into a day from Hell.

~~W~~W~~W~~

He sat outside of her room, watching her figure toss and turn on her mattress. A light frown (that he didn't even realize was there) was playing on his lips as he watched the human girl moan in an obvious uncomfortable sleep.

He swiftly opened her window and soundlessly jumped in her room. Her sweet scent of honey suckles and grass sedated his senses and he had to hold back a growl of pleasure that her scent brought to him. He could feel his manhood thickening slightly and it twitched when she let out a low moan and lifted her arms up over her head.

Ignoring his confusing actions, he looked down at the girl who was covered in sweat. He opened up his Jagon and quickly eased the girls mind.

She stopped her tossing and turning and stayed on her back, with her head facing his direction at the window. A soft sigh left her lips as they parted slightly. Hiei watched her soft full lips for a moment before taking in the details of her face.

Her high cheek bones, small pointy nose, large oval shapes eyes that resembled that of a dark blue see through ocean, naturally perfect eyebrows that were a darker blonde than her snowy hair. She was curvy for a small girl and he couldn't help but take note of that when he had to remove her soaking wet dress. Her skin was pale with a natural golden glow.

Her voice wasn't annoying like the fox's blue haired moron. Her voice was light, calming, and smooth. She amused him as she was chasing the detective around and was bound and determined to "kick his ass" (he was in the forest only a mile away from them). She was stronger than he gave her credit for. She was still a pathetic weak little human who got a cold from a minute of running fast.

He snorted as he crossed his arms. He heard her think a few times about how other humans would call her ugly. She was...not that hard to look at. He had seen plenty worst. Humans were stuck up creatures who took pride in sticks for women. At least this Onna was decent. She also smelled nice unlike her fellow humans who smelled artificial.

A groan escaped her lips as her eyes slowly started to open. He wasted no time in jumping out of the window and taking off into the night. When her eyes came into focus they landed on her open window.

"I don't remember ever opening that window…" she mumbled to herself as she slowly stood up from her bed.

She stood in front of the window and stared out into the night; a small frown on her face as she wondered about how her window magically opened. With a sigh she closed it and headed back to bed. She fell into a light slumber with the comforting scent of burning wood surrounding her.

~~W~~W~~W~~

The rain was pounding harshly against the temple's roof and it only seemed to make the mood in the temple worst.

"How about we play Monopoly!" cheered Boton as she seemed to pull the box out of nowhere.

"I don't want to Boton," grumbled Yusuke as he ran his hand through Keiko's hair.

She was lying on the couch with her head on his lap.

Boton's face fell as she plopped back on the floor before turning her attention to some show that was on the small TV.

Rin walked out of the gloomy room. She couldn't be in there anymore. Her fever was down but she still sneezed every now and then. That wasn't going to stop her from going outside just because it's raining. She walked out onto the front porch and took in the rain that was now being slung sideways due to the wind.

With a sigh she walked over to the swing and sat down. This whole day was planned ahead of time to be gloomy. At least that's what it seemed like.

"Why are you out here?"

Rin's eyes snapped open and landed on a soaking wet fire demon whose...shirt...was...off...

She watched the water drip down his tan muscular chest until it stopped at his pants line, and...GOD! Who knew that a small guy could be so…so…muscular! Praying to God that she kept the blush off of her cheeks, she decided to ignore how attractive he was and treat him like the jerk he is.

"Wow, you can actually talk," she said sarcastically as she moved her eyes up to the fire demons, but she had to fight a deeper blush when she saw him giving an almost unnoticeable smirk. It was filled with arrogance. He knew what she had been…examining.

"Hn."

She narrowed her eyes at him and turned her attention back to the rain that was now going the opposite way.

"You shouldn't be out here. You're hardly over being sick."

She saw through her peripheral vision that he crossed his arms and leaned against the side of the porch.

"Yeah well," she whispered as she thought of the gloom that was inside of the temple. Oh how she hated it when the mood was dark and the air was thick in tension.

They fell into a surprisingly comfortable silence as they both watched the rain flood the grass and trail down the slight slope of the grounds. She closed her eyes and listened to the music that the rain created.

Thump, thump, thump.

It was hauntingly beautiful to her.

"Onna."

Her eyes opened and landed on the fire demon who was watching her with cold eyes.

"Yes?" she asked with surprise evident in her voice.

"Get inside."

She blinked in confusion as she raised an eyebrow at the demon.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"I'm not going inside. It's too gloomy in there and at least out here there is something more than...moping. And I have a name you Jerk!" she said as she stubbornly crossed her arms.

He tilted his head slightly at her as something in his eyes flashed. It made her shift slightly in her seat as her heart sped up. Something about how he was looking at her made her a little...unnerved.

"Why are you staring at me like that? Do I look funny?"

"Yes."

"Shut up!"

"Hn. I don't take order from a low life like you."

"Funny neither do I."

"Watch it human."

"By IT do you mean you? You sure look like an IT to me, and I have better things to do than look at the likes of you."

A low growl left his lips as he narrowed his eyes at her. Within a blink of an eye his face was only a mere inch from hers, his bandaged hand wrapped around her small, fragile throat.

"You humans are all the same. All thinking that you're invincible. It's foolish and the very reason that I have little respect for your disgusting kind," he growled out, his sweet breath hitting her face.

She couldn't think straight. Not with his exotic beautiful face so close to hers. If he were to move forward even slightly, their lips would surly touch... Not like she wanted them to! He's a stuck up asshole.

He stared at her with such intensity hidden in his stoic eyes. She never knew that red could be such a beautiful color.

"I could so easily rip your throat out, and you wouldn't even have enough time to react. You wouldn't even have enough time to think. Do not cross me, Onna. I'm not a human lover like the fox. I won't hesitate to make you suffer," his voice was low, smooth, threatening…seductive…

When she blinked she found that the fire demon was nowhere in sight. It was like he was never even there except for his lingering musky scent.

She struggled to get her breathing under control. For some reason she got the feeling that what should have been a threatening position wasn't threatening at all.

During his whole threat the hand around her throat wasn't rough or painful. She could still feel his rough finger gently rubbing her neck almost...affectionately.

She snorted and rubbed her tingling throat subconsciously. Like Hiei would have any interest in her. Like she would have any interest in him! That was completely absurd! He obviously hates her guts. He pretty much said that she disgust him.

"So contradicting." she mumbled so quietly that she hardly heard herself,

With a shuddering breath she ignored her racing heart and headed inside, not even aware of the heated crimson gaze from high up in the trees.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Do you have any 5's?"

"No Yusuke. You just asked me that."

"Shut up Blondie!"

Rin giggled, "Do you have any 7's Kuwabara?"

"Yeah. Damn, you're good at this game."

"Perhaps, if you guys quit asking the same people for the same cards repeatedly…" offered Kurama as he turned his attention from the book he was reading.

"Shove it book-worm," mumbled Yusuke as he threw his cards on the table.

"Awe, you're giving up?" teased Rin.

"No! I'm just bored of playing this game!"

"Is it because I keep winning?"

"You're a damn cheat!"

"I am not a cheat Yusuke."

"Whatever! How else could you beat us 5 times in a row?"

"Yeah, Urameshi has a point Minnie Mouse."

"Oh, you two are babies," Rin mumbled as she threw her remaining cards at them.

"Yo!"

"Ahh!" Rin and Kuwabara yelled in fright as a baby Koenma popped out of nowhere.

"Hello Koenma," Kurama said calmly from his recliner.

"Hello. I have a lead on the demon that is after Rin. He is hiding out in the middle of the town that Rin lives in. His name is Amos and he is physically a D class demon but mentally an upper S, if that makes any sense. He is very old, a little older than Kurama, so he is no amateur"

"Tomorrow we will go check it out," Yusuke mumbled as he sprawled out carelessly on the floor.

"Just be careful. We think that they might be planning something."

"Always am," Yusuke mumbled sarcastically as he prepared himself for a nap.

"What about Rin?" Kuwabara questioned as he glanced worriedly at the girl sitting quietly beside him.

"She will have to stay here with Genkia," Yusuke easily replied.

Koenma frowned, "Are you sure you want to leave her without one of you guys?"

"She'll be fine Binky Breath. Genkia is a touch bitch."

"Yusuke, did you forget that Genkia does not have the strength she used to?"

When Yusuke didn't reply due to his even breathing, Koenma shot Kurama a worried glance before magically disappearing, leaving a very frozen Rin in her place. Something just didn't feel right. She could tell by the doom that was settling over her heart.


	6. Chapter 5

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 5: Makoto**

"Come on Rin. They guys are leaving. Don't you want to tell them goodbye?" Yukina said softly as she examined the young woman sitting on her window sill.

She reminded her considerably of Hiei, except she was clutching her legs tightly to her body. The morning wind that came in through the open window blew her soft pink dress around slightly.

Yukina frowned when she noticed that it wasn't exactly a good position to be in if she was in a dress, but the distress that was written on the young woman's face told the ice maiden that there were worst matters. Like the black circles around her eyes and what is causing them.

Yukina sighed when she realized that Rin wasn't going to answer. She had not spoken a word or acknowledged anyone since Koenma appeared yesterday. Yukina wondered if somehow Rin knew something bad was coming.

Yukina silently walked over to her friend and grabbed her shaking hand. The sensitive demon wanted to cry and hold her friend when she saw just how much she was being tortured. Rin allowed Yukina to lead her out of the room and down the stairs.

"Please be careful Yusuke. I'm getting Boton to open up a portal for me so I can be at home and rest."

Hiei blocked out all of goodbyes that the woman were giving them. He ignored the big oaf that was hugging his sister right next to him. He really wanted to slit that moron's throat but like always kept his irritation in check. His eyes looked past Yusuke and his woman, and landed on large dark blue eyes. He froze as she stared back with a terrified, exhausted, expression.

**SOMETHING IS WRONG. DON'T GO! DON'T GO! DON'T GO!**

He almost physically cringed as she accidentally sent her extremely loud, hectic thoughts at him. Her words dug deep in his paranoia though. No. What the hell does a little weak human know? He snorted as he broke eye contact and started towards the portal that would lead them close to their destination.

He had a feeling however, that he had just made a terrible mistake.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"This should be the place. It's completely empty," mumbled Kuwabara as they stood in the doorway of an abandoned house.

All of the windows were broken and half of it was burnt down. They had felt a demons energy heading in this building. Kuwabara saw one walk inside!

"This place looks completely inhabited. Even by demons," mumbled Yusuke as he took in the ripped up 70's style furniture, and roaming mice.

"Didn't you see a demon walk inside Kuwabara?" Kurama asked calmly, but his green eyes were looking around the room, slightly frightened and worried.

"Yeah…No one else saw him? He was big and bright orange, how could you miss him?"

All of the color drained from the other three men's faces.

"We would miss him if he was only there in your mind," Kurama whispered as they all looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Shit!" Yusuke yelled as brought out his old spirit detective compact and began to call Koenma so he could open up the portal.

"Fuck! It's not working! Guys, it's not working!" he yelled as he hit it repeatedly with his fist, panic settling into the half demons heart.

Hiei didn't wait any longer. With more speed than the fire demon knew he had, he flitted towards the temple. His only thoughts were of Yukina...and the defenseless human who tried to subconsciously warn him, and happened to be the one in true danger.

If possible he made his speed on the building tops even faster.

He should have listened.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Child, what has you so bothered?" Rin looked over to Genkia wise sarcastic eyes even though the woman was being serious.

She was sitting outside, staring at spot where the boys disappeared about an hour ago. The feeling was only getting worst as the seconds went by and they failed to return.

"Something's wrong," Rin whispered as she yanked on the darker pink lace at the bottom of her dress.

Genkia did not respond. She examined the girls shaking pale form as she stared out into the forest. Genkia followed her eyes.

"Shit!" she yelled as she quickly got ahold of Rin's arm and jumped as far away from the temple as she could.

A large dark purple energy ball struck the temple with such force that it blew Rin and Genkia back a few feet. Rin stared with wide eyes as the scene played in slow motion. Everything seemed to slow down, including her loud thumping heartbeat.

"Rin, go!" she heard Genkia scream but she was frozen.

Genkia was suddenly thrown to the side and smashed hard against a tree. Rin was too scared to even go and see if Genkia was okay. What about Yukina? Oh God! Yukina was in the temple!

"Look at what we have here. Amos will be happy to see that I found the grand prize."

Rin didn't have enough time to turn around and see where the voice was coming from. Something hard hit her head and she was soon drowning in darkness.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Hiei froze when he saw the scene. His chest was twisting uncomfortably as he took in the front of the temple. It was completely demolished. He opened up his Jagon and scanned the whole scene.

The old woman was fine but knocked out. Where was Yukina? He searched harder and found that she was somewhere behind the temple. She had been tending to her herb garden when the attack happened. Where was the human Onna? Hiei searched and searched and searched, but she was nowhere in sight. The Onna had completely disappeared.

"Oh god," Kuwabara whispered before screaming for Yukina and running to find her.

"Grandma!" Yusuke yelled as he ran in her direction.

"Hiei, where's Rin?" Kurama whispered from beside him.

The fire demons silence was the only answer the fox demon needed.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Wakey, Wakey beautiful."

Rin's eyes slowly peeled open as a groan escaped her lips. Her head hurt so bad that she wondered if someone ran over her with an 8 wheeler truck.

"Amos put you under my watch for now. His only request was to not kill you. But he gave me specific orders."

Rin's eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. It was cold and made her feel claustrophobic as she glanced around the empty stone room. Where had that dark, deep, emotionless voice come from?

"I know the perfect way to break you my love. You're so fragile and young; so pure. You would looked much more beautiful tainted and filthy."

She froze when a large hand gripped her throat roughly. Lips grazed against her earlobe as she tried to think of a way out of this. She already knew that his grip on her neck was hard enough to bruise. She was having extreme difficulty breathing as he crushed her wind pipes. She let out a strangled hiss when her body hit roughly against the stone hard wall, his hand still wrapped around her throat.

"Open your eyes love. Look at the man who's about to give you the best pleasure you have ever felt."

What!

Rin opened her teary eyes as she stared up into dark purple eyes. They were full of horrible promises and intentions. She couldn't stop the tears that fell from her eyes. She couldn't believe that things had gotten bad so fast. She was scared...

"Why do you look so petrified lovely? If you just look at it as an experience before death and don't fight it, than it won't hurt and you'll find it to be enjoyable."

The tall lean man threw his shoulder length black hair behind his shoulder as he tossed her roughly on the stone ground. She looked up at him as he stared down at her like a panther would when it's prey is trapped. She was trapped and they weren't going to find her in time.

She sobbed out in panic as he slowly lowered himself on his knees. She scooted back as he took off his black muscle tee. He smiled a horrible malevolent smile that showed a mouth full of fangs before crawling after her.

"No!" she cried out as her back hit a cold wall.

"Yes," he growled out deviously as he looked all over her body, hunger apparent in his purple eyes.

The way his eyes looked at her...made her feel so completely exposed; completely dirty. He roughly grabbed her ankle and yanked her so hard towards him that her body slid painfully against the ground, and her head hit the stone. She was sure she was bleeding and at rink of a concussion. Her vision was fuzzy and her breathing shallow. Why couldn't she be dead with her family? Why couldn't she have died along with them? Why was this happening to her? Why couldn't she be strong?

"No!" she screamed as she started to lash out at the demon that was crawling on top of her.

"NO!"

He growled and bared his teeth, his face twisting up so dangerously that she froze in fear. He was ugly; completely and utterly ugly to her, even though anyone else would call him handsome. She saw what he truly was.

Her pink dress was torn from her body in shreds before it was tossed across the den. Rin went to cover herself up but the demon grabbed her wrist in a bruising manner and slammed them on the stone ground. She cried out in pain before biting her lip.

"You're the most appealing human girl I have yet to see Love. You should feel lucky that I'm about to give you the best night of your life."

His large icy hand started to roam up her thigh while the other one held her down. She too was terrified to move. She was petrified in her spot as he got closer and closer to her most private part of her body. She didn't want him to touch her like that. No one had ever touched her like that, but he was too strong and she couldn't move. Right when he was about to reach his destination, there was a loud bang on the door.

"Fuck. Stay right here Love. Move an inch and I'll make you feel more pain than you knew possible."

And then his icy cold body was off of hers. All she wanted was to wake up from this nightmare and forever be surrounded by warmth.

"Drake, we just wanted to come and watch."

"Ah. Of course you do."

Rin was too scared to even turn her head to see who the demon was talking to, but her heart sank even more when she heard 5 footsteps head into the room.

"That just won't do Drake. She's in those godly human under garments."

"Shut up moron," Drake mumbled before coming back into Rin's sight.

He slowly lowered himself back on her before he pinned her hands down in one large hand.

"Here's what's going to happen Love. My friends are over there behind you are watching and they want a good show. If we don't give them a show, they will be mad."

She tried to tell him to stop but all that came out was a strangle cry as his hand slowly started to trail up her leg again. He grabbed her roughly and started to massage her most private part. It was painful and felt horrible.

Hot panicked tears flowed harshly down her cheeks as he continued touching her outside of her underwear. When his hand started to move the underwear aside, she screamed and spit directly in his face.

"Don't fucking touch me!" she roared out as she fought against his chain like grip, her wide eyes starting to become frantic and wild as something deep within her began to unwind.

"You bitch!" he screamed before hitting her so hard that her face flew sideways and bounce off of the stone ground.

Her vision became blurry as her head seemed to fill up with clouds. She could feel him taking off her undergarments; she was now completely exposed to a room full of men. Never had she felt so used and dirty than she did in this single moment.

"I know you like it. You're a dirty whore. Isn't that right men? Tell this human slut that she's a whore!"

Rin barely heard the other men's hollers as her heart beat began to drown out all the noise. It was like she wasn't even in her own body as the demon grabbed her breast so roughly that she would surly have hand marks on them. She heard blood hurling screams erupt in the room when she felt something hard on her inner leg.

"Shut up!" she saw his lips say but she didn't hear him over her heart and the screams.

The screams only became louder as everything seemed to slow down. The dark cold room filled up with a comforting bright yellow light and slowly Rin mentally separated from herself before passing out into a sea of black.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Do you guys hear that?" Kuwabara questioned as they looked upon a stone building that happened to be closer to them than they thought.

The shadow demon that attacked the temple happened to leave his scent behind when he attacked Genkia which was sloppy and careless, especially for his breed of demon. If it wasn't for that simple mistake, than they would have never of found their true hideout.

"That's a female's scream," whispered Yusuke as he stared at the building with such hatred and malice that the building would already be digging its grave if it was alive.

Hiei made a dash for the building and the other three followed suit. The demons that were guarding the building were easily disintegrated by the men's phenomenal power as they ran inside and frantically looked around.

"What are they doing to her?" Kuwabara shouted as he headed to the strange power signature that belonged to a very powerful demon; a powerful demon that was in the same area where Rin was being kept.

"Shit, demons are coming from all over the place!" Yusuke shouted as they all put their backs together in a tight circle, their weapons out and awaiting the blood shed except for Yusuke who was holding up his now glowing finger.

"Someone needs to get to Rin!" Yusuke yelled over the loud roaring of demons.

"Hiei and I will go find her. You and Kuwabara try to hold off these demons until we get back," ordered Kurama before he and the fire demon took off down the long corridor.

"Spirit Gun!" was the last thing the two demons heard before horror overtook their very souls.

At the door at the end of the hall was where the strange energy was coming from and it was so powerful that it had the two demons instincts on high alert.

"Fox, I recognize that energy," Hiei said, not even bothering to hide the unease from his voice.

Kurama pushed open the door and felt horrified by the scene bestowed upon him. The room smelt entirely of death, blood, fear and arousal. With wide eyes, Hiei took in the dead men that were drowning in their own blood on the floor.

There were five of them, one of them naked, face up, and he was missing the very item that made him a male. Even for the fire demon the scene was brutal. Standing in the middle of the room, covered in blood from head to toe was a naked Rin. Her back was to them and she was just standing there laughing an insane dark laugh; a delighted, insane dark laugh.

Hiei had heard this Onna laugh and that was not her laugh. Hers was light and airy; this one was deep and completely fanatical.

"Rin?" Kurama called out, his breath obviously caught in his throat as he took in the horrifying scene. Never would he imagine this sweet human girl to be capable of such activities.

She didn't respond. Instead she started to rock back and forth on her heels as she started to laugh louder. It sent cold shivers through both of the demons bodies as they watched her swim around in her insanity. She might as well be basking in her victim's blood.

"God dammit Onna, snap out of it!" Hiei yelled as he held his katana out in front of him. With the way she was acting he was not sure if she would be friend or foe. He had no desire to end up like any of these men, especially the one that was less unfortunate.

She stopped rocking back and forth, and a light squeal replaced her manic laughter. She slowly turned around, her blood caked hair swinging with her movements.

"Don't worry! I took care of the situation for you!" she cheered as she stared proudly down at the dead bodies, her face lighting up like a child in a candy store when they landed on the naked man whose face was permanently twisted in horror.

"Hiei's, that's not her voice."

"I know fox."

Rin smiled cheerfully before slowly walking towards the demons at the door.

"I tried to warn you. I tried to," she spoke softly, her voice now a few octaves deeper, but still sounded slightly feminine.

Hiei stiffened when he saw the bright yellow specks in the Onna eyes.

Her wild orbs then closed as she fell forward, her bloodied form weak and looking more fragile than ever. Hiei didn't hesitate to catch her and he silently held her to him, his eyes closing as he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. He quickly wrapped her in his black cloak just as Yusuke and Kuwabara showed up at the door way.

"Holy shit."

Hiei ignored the half demon as he picked the shaking girl up bridal style and exited the room without a single word to the horrified men behind him. For once no one had anything to say. They each knew that this was far from over.

~~W~~W~~W~~

_"Come on my little human, wake up. Our contact is brief. I don't want you to get trapped in your mind."_

_Rin felt like she was floating as she tried to open her eyes. She finally pried them open and then sat up. She looked around what appeared to be a forest of some sort. When had she gotten into a forest?_

_"Hello Rin. My name is Makoto."_

_Rin looked behind her and saw a very tall skinny man. He had long tied back dark red hair and bright yellow eyes that looked psychotically cheerful. He was wearing no shirt and black baggy cloth pants. He had black violent looking markings on his right side that resembled some sort of old forgotten language. They were jagged and seemed to have no real direction even though they covered half of his chest and his whole right arm._

_"What's going on?" she asked quietly._

_The man smiled adoringly down at the small girl._

_"Don't panic my little human, but right now you're deep into your mind, teetering on the brig of death."_

_His voice was deeper than hers but still sounded famine. She didn't let that fool her into thinking that he was a joke and harmless. Even she could see the danger in his eyes._

_"I need to tell you some very important things, so please just let me talk." he pleaded as he sat down on his knees in front of her._

_With his large soft hands he grabbed both of hers and looked her very seriously in the eye. All cheer and playfulness were absent._

_"I am the demon that has been living in your body. I have been keeping myself locked inside of you because my old lover is trying to get control over me so he could destroy the worlds. Rin, my sweet little human, I need you to tell Koenma my name and what I just told you, no detail left out. I also need you to tell him to give you a spirit egg. Can you do that little one?" he asked while he gently brushed her hair out of her face._

_She gently leaned into his comforting touch as she nodded to the man, not noticing the true comfort that he gave her or the fact that she felt as if she were sinking deeper and deeper into reality._

_"Good girl. I'll be with you soon," he said gently before the image started to fade._

_The last thing she saw before the image disappeared was Makoto's comforting smile._

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Guy's, what if she doesn't wake up," mumbled Kuwabara as he stared at the now bathed, but hospitalized girl.

"SHUT THE HELL UP! Don't say that God dammit!" Yusuke roared as he landed a hard punch to Kuwabara's face, making him fly backwards and crash into the wall.

"Yusuke, Kuwabara! Fighting will not make her wake up! If you fight in here you will only end up hurting her more than she already is!" screeched Genkia as she gave them a look that clearly said drop dead, or shut the hell up.

They both huffed before sitting back down in their chairs. Kuwabara heard a quiet sob and quickly left his seat so he could comfort the hysterical Yukina. He should have kept his worries to himself.

Hiei stayed the farthest corner from the group, but he kept his stoic eyes on the girl. She had somehow traveled very deep into her mind. It was up to her if she somehow came out of it.

Kurama knew his friend better than the rest. The fire demon had been the most disturbed by this whole situation. He was sure that Hiei hadn't even realized why he wouldn't let any of the other men touch her. Why he wouldn't let anyone hold her. Why now he keeps a trained (and protective) eye on her.

The fox demon saw that the moment Hiei saw her for the first time, something in him flipped around. He was going to have to investigate in this matter further, but he was interested to see how things played out. Hopefully his friend didn't hurt the human girl. She was very unstable and he was sure that the horrors of yesterday were going to haunt her. She will need time to heal and grown thicker skin before anything between her and Hiei happen.

"Koenma…"

Everyone in the room froze as Rin's choked voice resonated weakly throughout the room.

"Koe...Koenma," she whispered again, this time with her eyes cracked open slightly.

"Rin, I'm here," the deity spoke gently as he hastily rushed to her side.

"Mak…" she said before she started to violently cough.

"Here Rin," Kurama said as he sat her up and put a cup of water to her lips.

He made sure that she slowly drank it before laying her back down.

"What's wrong Rin?" Koenma asked as he looked down at her pale form.

When she was first brought in she was bloody, bruised, and in nothing but Hiei's cloak. When Kurama told him what they found...

"Makoto…his lover was trying to get control," she stopped as she started to cough, but Koenma's eyes were already wide with recognition, "of him so they could destroy the worlds; Spirit egg. Spirit egg..."

"I think I understand what Makoto was trying to say Rin," Koenma said lightly, right as the girl passed out.

"Who is Makoto?" Yusuke questioned.

"The demon living inside of Rin," Koenma said with a faraway look, but he actually looked relieved.

"That's no name for a girl," said Kuwabara as he stared strangely at the girl on the bed.

"That would be because Makoto is a male demon and he may have just solved one part of our issue."

"She has a male demon living inside of her!" screeched Kuwabara with disgust obviously written on his face.

"You all might as well return to the Temple. Only the entrance room was destroyed, so as long as you stick together you should be fine. I would advise camping out in one room."

"Wait, what about Keiko? She's probably worrying herself sick, and she's so close to her due date."

"Don't worry Yusuke. That's actually why Boton isn't here. When you guys got here I told her to go stay with Keiko and to let her know that everyone is fine."

Yusuke relaxed slightly when he heard that his pregnant wife wasn't alone. He knew that she must have been scared. He hated doing that to her. It made him think of all the times he left her alone in his youth. Despite the time passed he still felt guilty. Never will he leave her again.

~~W~~W~~W~~

They all sat in the only furnished room at the back of the temple. They pushed the couch on the far side of the wall which was where they laid Rin who was once more bathed thanks to Yukina who said that she still smelled of blood. The rest of them were scattered in front of the couch in sleeping bags or a self-made pallet, the TV was on but the sound muted. Hiei was perched up against the window and was staring out into the dark night.

"How did they attack you?" Kuwabara asked as he looked over to the old woman who was sitting cross-legged on her pallet.

"I don't know. I didn't sense it until it was too late. It could have been the shadow demon. He was in the ground so he got past my barriers. It doesn't help that I'm an old prune."

No one replied after that, but they were all thinking the same thing. This situation was completely horrible and she had almost been raped. If she didn't have the demon living inside of her, she could have been even more scarred than she already will be. They had fooled each one of them. The next test was going to be even harder and even more brutal.

**Fox, why do you think the girl was talking about a spirit egg?**

Kurama turned his green eyes over to Hiei's figure on the window sill. He saw that his eyes were looking at the girl's reflection even though it appeared as his he was watching the night-time scenery.

**Since the demon is sharing a soul with Rin and she has no spiritual power, if she had a spirit egg the demon could feed his energy into it and when it hatched he would be in the place of the spirit beast. At least as long as they both have pure intentions and feed it good energy**.

Hiei thought over the fox's words and cut the connection.

It made sense, but he couldn't forget the scene that he had witnessed.

Seeing the innocent Onna covered in blood with dead bodies surrounding her, it was not something he wanted to see again. Because of that demon she had murdered. Because of that demon she is alive and still had her innocence. Having that demon as her spirit beast would actually be a good thing. It could protect her. Not that Hiei cared for her safely. He was just sick of having to baby sit.


	7. Chapter 6

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 6: Crossing the line of no return**

_"Sister!"_

_Rin turned her shy eyes from the ground and looked behind the larger boy in front of her. The boy had her long hair wrapped around his large fist and was just about to slam her to the floor. Rin sighed in relief when she saw a tall 18-year-old young man with choppy black hair and seething dark blue eyes heading angrily in their direction._

_"Let the fuck go of my sister you ugly brute!" her bother yelled before he took down the beast of a child with one bullet like punch._

_Draven quickly detangled Rin's hair and swept her into his long arms._

_"We need to tell mom and pa that it's happening again. You can't keep letting them do this. I'll make sure that they do something about it this time," her brother said softly as he kissed the top of her head._

_"What are you doing here Draven? This is a middle school," Rin said playfully, but her brother knew better than to trust her tone._

_"Mother sent me to come get you. I'm glad she did."_

_He grabbed her small soft hand and together they started the short mile to their house. Rin watched her long light green skirt sway in the cold wind. She wouldn't know what to do if her brother left her. He chose to stay in town to go to college, but she knew he didn't want to stay here for the rest of his life._

_"Sister."_

_Rin looked up to her brother's sad smiling face._

_"We will tell them about how horrible those kids are to you and you will be strong, understand? Every night I hear you crying about them calling you ugly. You're the most beautiful person I know. Even if you don't listen when I say kick their Ass's," he let out a loud boisterous laugh before smirking down at her._

_"Not all of us revert to our fist."_

_Draven gave his sister a crooked smile as they approached their small home._

_"I love you Brother."_

_"I love you to Sister."_

Rin's eyes snapped open as she sat up swiftly with her hand on her chest. Her heart was pounding and aching all at once as she recalled her memory over and over.

"Brother," her voice croaked as warm tears flew freely from her eyes.

She took a few deep breaths and wiped the wetness from her cheeks. With one last shaky breath, she looked around the dark room. There were blankets scattered all over the floor, but no one was laying in them. With a frown Rin continued to look around the room until her eyes landed on a black figure that was sitting on the window sill.

His crimson eyes were watching her carefully as she stared wide-eyed at his lax figure. The way that the moon lit up half of his face but left the other part shaded seemed to fit him. At least from what she had seen. He is very unpredictable and seemed a little neurotic at time.

Neither one spoke a word as they continued to stare at each other. She had a feeling that something unspoken was taking place but she just couldn't understand his strange behavior any more than she could understand Latin, and she knew not one word of it.

"Where...Where are the others?" she asked nervously, finally having enough of the confusing staring contest.

"Outside." he said smoothly as he continued to stare at her.

"Um...doing what, exactly?"

If he kept staring at her like that then she was going to just keel over from nerves.

"They are putting up barriers and traps so no more intruders can get through."

He continued to stare at her.

"Stop staring at me!" she screeched as she subconsciously held her blanket against her body.

His eyes never quivered, but his lips twisted up into a secretive smirk that made her heart flutter around in her chest. He was acting a little odd, but she felt confused about why he would be. It was almost as if he was distracting her from something…Did something happen?

"Rin!"

She tore her eyes from the fire demon and barely had enough time to see the aqua hair before she tackled Rin into a hug.

"Hello to you to Yukina," Rin said gently.

"How are you feeling?" Yukina questioned as she pulled away from her and continued to stare in worry and concern.

Rin blinked in confusion for only a moment before her face darkened and her skin paled; the shadow demon, him touching her, her blacking out.

"Did...did he?"

She hardly recognized her own voice. It sounded so empty and lost. Yukina took a step back, her eyes wide and panicked.

"No, he was stopped before he could do anything to you."

Rin looked to the door way and saw Koenma and a surprisingly large egg in his grasp. It was pulsing yellow.

"Do you remember what Makoto said to you in your dream Rin?" Koenma asked as he walked towards her, the egg cradled in his arm.

"Yes." Dammit! There was that voice again!

"You are to keep this egg with you so he can feed it his energy. This has never been tried before but so far it seems like it's working better than it normally does. You have only had it for a few days it should hatch in just a few more weeks."

Rin stared at the egg with heavy-lidded eyes before taking it from him. He stood there, waiting for her to talk, but she just stayed silent with her eyes down on the egg. Koenma felt his chest twist painfully before sending Yukina a worried glance and heading back outside with the others so he could help add protection.

Kuwabara and Yusuke tried everything that they could just to get the girl to smile. It was forced when she did and had no true feelings behind it. They had all grown attached to the young girl and they looked at her like not only a part of the gang, but as a little sister.

Yet nothing they did affected her and they did not know what to do. They were now allowed to sleep in their own room, and every night the house hold would meet each other in the living room and listen to her terrified screams as she relived the nightmare over and over.

They were all bothered by it, even the fire demon who hid it like an expert, but the only ones who were not fooled was the fox demon and the old woman who had notice that slight change in the fire demons cold demeanor. He was tense and would sometimes take off. Her screams fell silent 5 minutes later and Hiei would not return until the next day.

She would scream No, and go on rants about being covered in blood. Every now and again they would catch her practically trying to down herself in a scorching hot bath tub. She would say that she felt dirty and kept seeing blood all over her body.

Kurama tried to get the girl to eat but she wouldn't take it and wouldn't take any drink that he tried to give her. He was worried about the human girl. He could only imagine how horrible the whole situation has been for her. Not to mention her mind kept constantly playing tricks on her.

She had grown up in a world where everyone was sheltered and hidden from the true horrors of the world. That made it that much harder to deal with. It was going to be a long journey full of pain and they were unsure if she would be able to handle it.

* * *

><p>"Rin, we all have to return home, but you are to go nowhere without someone with you. Hiei will be here keeping an eye on everything. We will back in about two weeks. We have a lot of investigating to do," Kurama said gently as everyone except the fire demon sat at the table eating breakfast.<p>

"Okay," Rin's detached voice whispered as she stared blankly at her food in an eerie dream state that matched her blood-shot eyes.

The food had no taste to her but for her friend's sake she stuffed down the eggs until she felt like she was going to vomit. She was aware of how they all stepped around her like she was just going to snap. She hated it. She hated how they felt the need to baby her and to try to comfort her. She didn't want comfort. She just wanted to have a moment where she forgot everything. Just one moment where she wasn't reminded of the horrors that she had barely survived through, and she had no idea how she even got out of that predicament in the first place!

She still constantly felt dirty. She just couldn't get over that scum touching her. She kept bathing and bathing herself but nothing she did would rid of his trash like scent and the feel of his hands touching her.

For next few days Rin was keeping herself busy by cleaning. She was surprised that every day when she went to clean another room, the fire demon would be sitting on the window sill, watching her every move. He never spoke or stepped around her like she was glass. It was like he understood that she just wanted left alone, but she couldn't wrap her head around why he was there. At first she thought it was simply accidental, but when it happened the third time, she knew that he was doing it on purpose; for what reason? She had no idea, but she enjoyed his silent company.

She would hum softly to herself as she swept or mopped and he would sit on the window sill with his normal stoic face, watching her every move like he was judging something. Whatever it was, she was sure she would find out soon.

It had now reached the weekend and Rin managed to clean every single room in the Temple. No one said anything about her cleaning and she managed to avoid Yukina and Genkia while she cleaned; or maybe they avoided her. She was fine with both of those possibilities.

Rin walked into the Kitchen and nearly had a heart attack as she spotted the fire demon sitting on the window sill.

"Hiei!" Rin yelped as she placed her hand over her racing heart.

His eyes seemed to light up in an almost animalist way, but as soon as she noticed it, it was gone. She was sure her eyes showed her confusion as a light smirk found its way on his lips. Does he ever smile?

She quickly turned her attention away from him as she started to make herself some warm tea so that maybe, MAYBE, she could have a peaceful day without random flashbacks. She was sick of the nightmares and feeling so damn dirty. She just wanted to get over it. With a frown she dipped her tea bag in the steaming hot cup of water, her thoughts too deep to feel the fire demons heated gaze on her back.

"Onna."

Rin froze as she was putting sugar in her tea. That was the first time he had spoken a word to her all week. She turned around and nearly screamed when she came in contact with the fire demons chest. When had he gotten so close?

"I know a way that will help you get over your fears. My methods are completely unemotional and if you choose to accept, be prepared to face whatever consequences that may come of it."

Rin stared at Hiei's fiery eyes as she played his words over and over in her head. What was he talking about?

He lowered his face to hers, his lips almost touching her quivering ones.

"When I come for you, you better have an answer," was the last thing he said before she was the only one in the kitchen, her tea completely forgotten.

For the rest of the day Rin was too distracted to even realize that she was cleaning a window that she had just cleaned the day before. All she could think about was that stupid fire demons words. What the hell did he mean? What method was he talking about? How could she decide when she didn't know what the options were? Her head felt like it was going to explode. The fire demon in question had not been following her around in her cleaning quest. He completely disappeared after his strange behavior in the kitchen that afternoon.

He was completely rude and mean but she did enjoy his silent company. She always believed that the best things are spoken when talking wasn't involved, but this fire demon was as aloof with his actions as he was with his words.

With a frustrated squeal Rin threw her rag against the window before leaning her head against the cool glass.

"Rin? Dinner is ready."

She turned around and smiled her best (but fake) smile at the small demon.

"Let me just pick up my stuff and I'll be right there," she said as happily as she could.

Yukina smiled sadly before going into the Kitchen. Rin realized for the first time since she fell into depression that her friends were suffering as well. It was all because she was too weak to pull herself out of it. She had never had people care about her like this, at least people she wasn't related to.

Hiei's words played through her mind again; if it would help her become herself again...than she will do whatever it took.

* * *

><p>Rin put on a large grey t-shirt and black shorts. She braided her long wet hair before sighing and rubbing her arms in attempt to calm herself. She headed towards her bed and gently fell down on the cold quilt.<p>

She had hardly slept and when she did it was short-lived. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. She had no idea how long she had just laid there, staring into the darkness of her room, before she heard her window open. With a startled yelp she sat up in her bed and froze in her spot when her eyes landed on glowing red orbs. Hiei was sitting on her window sill, the wind messing up his black gravity defying hair in a way that made him look completely god like to her.

He eyed her small frame carefully as she sat on the edge of her bed completely and utterly vulnerable to him.

"Come here Onna."

She blinked at him, confusion dancing across her eyes at his demand. She could barely here the gentleness in his voice, but she had still heard it. She couldn't help but doubt the situation.

"Come here," he demanded a little more forcefully, this time holding his hand out to the frozen girl.

It took her a moment, but she hesitantly stood up and started to walk towards the fire demon that in reality, she hardly knew. The others told her things about him, but she didn't really know HIM.

He kept his eyes on her unsure form, and kept eye contact even when her small fragile hand placed itself in his callused larger ones.

"This is your only chance to back out Onna. Will you come with me and let me help you the only way I know how, or will you stay here and continue to suffer?"

Rin knew she should say no. The way he was looking at her, so heatedly, showed her that whatever his methods were, were going to make her a nervous wreck.

She knew it was wrong. Oh so very wrong that her body and heart wanted to go with him and do whatever he said. They seemed to know what he was insisting, yet her naïve mind could not figure it out, but she knew that it would be wrong to go with him. But it felt right.

"I will go with you Hiei."

Her voice was soft and held uncertainty and nervousness. If Hiei was anyone else than he would have never of put the naïve girl in this situation. He knew that she was not entirely sure what she was getting herself into, but he knew that in a sick, fucked up way it will help her. In the future will it only do more damage to her? He didn't know and he didn't care.

"No matter what takes place, it is completely unemotional, remember that," he grunted before pulling her to his heated body and jumping out of the window.

A surprised squeal left her lips as he started to run. She clung to his blue shirt for dear life and breathed in his strangely addicting, comforting scent. God, he smelt so good! She practically moaned in delight as she breathed in more and more of his erotic smell. Never before had she been able to be this close to him without something horrible happening. She just couldn't help but take advantage of the situation.

He finally stopped running and placed her gently on her feet. Rin blinked in confusion as she looked around the forest he had taken her to. The only source of light was the full moon that lingered over them. For once they were completely alone.

Rin turned her attention back to the fire demon that was watching her with an incomprehensible expression. She felt a blush rise on her face as she took a step back, his gaze making her uncomfortable. He took a step forward, his head tilting to the side. She took another step back. What is he planning to do?

Rin's eyes widened when her back hit a large tree trunk. Within a blink of an eye he had her pressed to the tree, his heated body trapping her. Rin stared into his eyes that held an emotion that she just couldn't pin point. His eyes were almost soft and seemed to be taking in every structure of her face.

"He...Hiei?" Her voice was shaky and confused, but seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he fell in.

His hand moved to her hip and lightly caressed it, sending shivered throughout her extremely warm body. When he grabbed it, her eyes went wide as she bucked her hips when a strange pleasure hit her. A low growl left his lips in response as he lowered his lips to her neck.

He explored it with light kisses until he heard her intake air. He nipped that spot lightly right as he squeezed her hip again. She bucked as a low moan left her lips. With his other hand he pulled the tie from her hair and fingered out her braid. He moved his hand on her hip under her shirt and brushed his hand against her stomach. She shivered against his touch as her mind seemed to cloud up more and more from this pleasurable contact. He slowly started to move his hand down her shorts.

"Hiei, I...don't…"

Hiei removed his face from her neck and stared down into her fear filled eyes.

"When he did it...it hurt," she whimpered as tears started to gather in her eyes. He frowned slightly but kept gently rubbing his fingers on her stomach.

"It's not going to hurt. Just keep your eyes on me Onna."

Rin blinked at his surprisingly somewhat gentle tone.

"You promise it won't hurt," she whispered as she stared deeply into his guarded red eyes.

"Hn. I promise," he said before continuing to move his hand down.

Her breathing got harsher as she waited for the pain to start but he promised her that it wouldn't hurt, and as long as she kept her eyes on his she found that she believed him. Her eyes went wide and her breathing hitched when his hand gently cupped her outside of her underwear. She never held such heat in her body at once; at least not pleasurable heat. She had never felt anything like this.

As he slowly started to massage her in gentle motions, her breathing started to quicken and her eyes found it hard to stay open but she kept her eyes on his, unable to look away from the passion that was now hiding behind his usual stoic gaze. She whimpered in protest as his hand stopped and started to pull out of her shorts. He smirked when a loud moan left her lips when he moved his hand under her underwear.

He was happy to see that her body was reacting so strongly to him. He continued to massage her for a moment until he found her core and gently inserted a finger. If possible, her eyes got even wider as she clawed his shoulders almost violently. He growled as he fought to control his demonic urges. This girl would not be able to move if he lost control.

He slowly stared to move his finger and nearly groaned when she closed her eyes and leaned her head back as she bit her lip. He pulled her legs up so they could wrap around his waist and with his other hand he held her up by her bottom.

He bent down to her ear and whispered, "Don't hold back Onna," before maneuvering his finger in a way that made her cry out in pleasure.

He watched in delight as this innocent human girl started to thrust her hips, matching that same rhythm he settled at. He could feel his pants becoming tighter as he watched the girl's body move, but for her own good he tried to ignore it.

When her glazed over dark blue eyes opened and looked at him with complete hunger, he nearly lost control. His lips crashed down on hers, and it only seemed to set both of their bodies on fire. Their rhythm fastened as his mouth silence her moans. He growled as he took advantage of her open mouth and lapped up the taste of her innocents. She kissed him back just as hungrily and he wondered if she had ever kissed anyone before. If she hadn't, than she had a natural talent.

She tasted completely intoxicating and pure.

He felt her walls start to tighten around his finger so he removed his mouth from hers. He wanted to listen and see the results of their sin. He felt her body quiver against him as her eyes stayed glued to his. She screamed out, her eyes half closed as she clutched him for dear life, too afraid that she was going to somehow float away from him. They slowed their pace until they were completely still, breathing hard, but still gazing at one another, neither wanting to break eye contact.

Hiei bent down to her neck and nipped at it gently before removing his hand and sweeping her up into his arms once more. He could feel the fatigue settling over her and he knew that she was not ready for him. That was the first pleasurable act she had ever participated in. She couldn't handle a wild demon like him.

No matter how wild she had become.

He jumped up into the tree by the girl's room and leaped elegantly through the open window.

He walked over to her bed and gently laid her down and pulled her covers over her. She looked up at him with heavy-lidded eyes and he had to fight the urge to smile at the Onna. He found it amusing and arousing at the same time that she was exhausted because of the pleasure HE had given her.

"Sleep Onna," he said softly as her eyes closed and she soon fell into a deep sleep for the first time in a long time.

He stood there in silence as he watched her even breathing, a small smile on her face. He gently brushed a strand of hair out of her face and put it behind her ear, as he stared down at her with a battled expression. He had said it himself that whatever happened would be completely unemotional yet...the whole thing seemed nothing but emotional.

He wanted her. More than he had wanted a woman, and he had felt this way since the first time he had laid eyes on the human Onna. He feared however that if he took that step that he would be facing consequences that he had a feeling he didn't want to face.

Even now with their small act of pleasure he was feeling something odd stabbing at his chest….

Tearing his gaze from the sleeping girl he left her room and ran like hell. He only had one thought haunting him as his mind kept replaying what just happened not that long ago. He may have already fallen in too deep, and that thought terrified him.


	8. Chapter 7

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 7: Her Story; His desire's**

Rin was floating on cloud nine, burning mood and forest clouding her senses. She had not slept that deeply in what felt like months. With a small groan she opened her eyes and squinted as the sunlight blinded her. How late did she sleep in?

She slowly got off of her bed and grabbed some cloths from her dresser before heading to the bathroom to shower. It took her longer to wake up than usual, but what happened to trigger last night's occurrence was the steaming hot water and the slight discomfort in between her legs. Her head de-clouded almost instantly as she froze in the hot water.

The way he was touching her, looking at her and making her feel. It was so intense that she couldn't even remember what the other demons harsh hands felt like on her.

It was so intense that her body was acting strangely to the flashbacks and the hot water that reminded her of his body pressed against her.

She closed her eyes and in the darkness was a naked fire demon that was pressed so tightly to her that you wouldn't be able to tell where they were separate. She pictured the look of softness and passion that he had shown last night and could almost feel his hands trailing down her body.

"Gah!" she yelled in frustration and embarrassment as she turned the hot water completely off.

Now she was freezing and missed the comfort of the heat.

"What did I do?" she whimpered as she got out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel.

She put on her undergarments before putting on denim jean shorts and a small black t-shirt, which happened to be the only black thing she owned. Now what had possessed her to wear something black?

Rin stepped out of the foggy bathroom and headed to her room. She grabbed a pair of socks and put on her boots, creases forming on her forehead as she went about her business almost robotically. With a sigh she looked over to her large egg that was sitting on a cloth sheet next to her bed. She brushed her fingers against it lovingly before tying her long hair up in a ponytail.

"I don't know why, but I feel connected to you," she said to the egg as she smiled gently before exiting the room.

Two pairs of eyes were full of surprise when she entered the kitchen.

"Good morning," she said as walked to the fridge so she could make herself something to eat.

She had barely eaten anything the last week because she had no appetite. She felt like she could eat a cow and a horse!

"It's afternoon child," said Genkia as she stared at the now glowing girl.

What the hell happened within only a few hours?

"Would you like to help me plant some flowers in my garden out back?" Yukina asked, deciding that she was not going to question Rin's change in behavior. At least not right now.

"Sure."

The two women blinked in shock. Yukina didn't expect her to say yes.

The two small females laughed in unison as they planted the different kinds of flowers while getting caked in dirt.

Yukina kept an eye on the human girl as she laughed for the first time in over a week. Even when Rin first got here she didn't glow this much. Rin bent across from her to get another flower and Yukina got a faint smell of burning wood.

Oh, something most definitely happened.

Yukina looked up to the trees and frowned when she couldn't sense the fire demon.

He hasn't left the temple since Rin showed up so why is he not here now?

* * *

><p>He said that there was nothing emotional about it, and that's what he was going to make it be. He does not need some stupid little human girl thinking that there is something between them. He scoffed out loud as he headed into a village far into the Makai. Like there could ever be something between them. The only thing the fire demon believed in was lust and procession -And hatred.<p>

He slowed down his run when he approached the out skirts of the village. He was aware of the stares he was getting. Everyone knew of him due to his position under Mukuro and the Dark Tournament. For those reasons, everyone feared him and that's how he liked it.

He turned off of the pale dirt walk way of the village and entered a small bar. With cold eyes he scanned the bar until he found what he was looking for.

-Short choppy black hair, light silver eyes, so pale that she seemed to go glow under the dim lights. She had tight leather clinging to her curvy seductive body and her equally seductive eyes were looking at him with a glint that promised chaos. She stood up from her bar stool and slowly approached him, a feline appearance to her perfectly sculptured face.

He smirked. Now this was the kind of woman he preferred. Elegant, sexy and knows where she belongs.

"Hello Hiei. It's been awhile," she cooed softly as she bent down slightly to look him in the eyes, her long sharp nail sliding down his chest.

"You know how this goes woman," he demanded coldly, showing that he was the dominate one and she, she was nothing more than his play thing.

"Of course," she purred before turning around and heading to the back of the bar.

Hiei watched with hungry eyes as her fully developed hips swayed back and forth. He pushed back thoughts of the human one and slammed the she demon against the stonewall the moment they stepped out of the back door.

As good as this sin felt, he found himself thinking of dark blue eyes and long snowy hair, but he had to get her scent off of him and out of his nose.

* * *

><p>The week was now over and it was Friday. Today would be the day the others were coming to visit. Yet, the fire demon had yet to return.<p>

Rin found herself conflicted about the matter. She constantly thought of him and the night that she knew was 100% wrong, but Hiei had indeed helped her. In a way she was happy he had disappeared for a while. How could she forget what happened? He had said that it was unemotional and she knew that was only a onetime thing. She was happy it was. He was not someone she wanted to lose her virginity to. He was not her idea of a companion. A lover maybe... No, no. She was raised to be above that. She was above that...barely.

Still, she could not deny the beating of her heart and the longing in her soul when she thought of him. She must have lost her mind. This was just too much.

She groaned, "Any day now Makoto and you'll be free. Then you can come out and be my best friend and make sense of things that I can't make sense of. Like behaviors of demons and how certain ones affect me," she mumbled as she glanced over at the egg that was now too heavy for her to move.

The egg seemed to pulse against her hand that she sat on-top of it and she smiled in response to the comfort that it sent throughout her body.

"I think that's a yes," Rin mumbled right before her door burst open.

"Pack your crap for a week and come down stairs!" Yusuke yelled with wild hair and excitement flashing through his large childish eyes.

Rin blinked in confusion before grabbing her bag and throwing cloths into it and then setting it next to her egg. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she found Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Koenma who was holding a faded black box in his hands.

"Hello Rin. I see you're doing better," Koenma said as he examined the girl who almost now looked like a stranger.

The light that was in her eyes was unexpected.

"Yeah," she said nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulders.

Everyone blinked in confusion.

"Well, uh...we all figured that you would want to get out of the temple for a bit."

"Really?" Rin asked slowly as her eyes became wide in excitement.

"Yes. The only thing is that you must wear a very rare artifact at all times. No demon will be able to find you if you have it on and it blocks your mind. Makoto is almost completely transferred into your spirit beast and I'm afraid that you won't be as protected once he leaves your body."

He opened up the box in his hands and pulled out a simple silver chain with a small dark red ruby hanging from it. Her eyes darkened for a moment as sadness and longing flashed through them before it was gone.

The fox demon, who was already examining her with hard, calculating eyes, had taken notice of her reaction and the fact they were the same color as the fire demons. His smell may have been faint but it was all over her.

Hiei had finally noticed his pull towards her; that would explain why he's not here, but the wise fox knew that it was far from over. Rin still had her innocence and Hiei wasn't the type to hesitate when it came to taking something he wanted. Sooner or later he would get what he desired and then he'll find out a few more things that the fox knew his fire demon friend couldn't handle.

"Oh my god," Rin whimpered as she finally reached the end of what seemed to be a never-ending stair case.

Kurama caught her for the 1 millionth time as she fell forward, a small amused smile on his face.

"That took you long enough," Yusuke gloated with a cocky smirk so big that she was tempted to knock it right off.

"Maybe if a certain ass weren't yelling at me for being slow the whole time, I wouldn't have taken so long," she mumbled under her breath. Kurama was the only one who heard her and in response to her rare vulgar language was chuckling lightly as he waited for her to catch her breath.

"Now we have the long hike to the train station. Of course, I could run and be there within about 10 minute instead of the hour walk, but fox boy thinks that you would rather enjoy the walking and crap."

"Stop being a jerk Urameshi," Kuwabara mumbled as he hit Yusuke on the back of the head. Knowing that a fight was about to break out Kurama turned to Rin for a bit of investigating.

"So Rin, how have your weeks been without us? You haven't been too lonely I hope. I know Hiei isn't much company."

He quickly went reached out to steady her because she tripped over a rock.

"No, No. I haven't been lonely. I've been...preoccupied and stuff like that. Inner soul-searching," she said quickly, obviously taken off guard by the question for her eyes were wide and her cheeks were painted a light pink.

"Did you see much of Hiei? He was supposed to stick around until we came back. Was he missing the entire time?"

He watched her eyes shade over as confusion entered her features. Her eyes kept flashing between longing, shame, lust, sadness and then they would repeat all over again. She was much too young in her heart and mind to be dealing with the things that she was.

"I don't pay him much mind. I think we have a mutual understanding. I prefer him not being around. He's Mr. No-personality," she mumbled quietly.

Interesting.

Hiei's actions must have confused her more than the fox originally thought. He didn't blame her. There was no telling what Hiei was thinking and feeling partly because not even the fire demon knew. Kurama had no doubt that Hiei was more confused than her, but it's still too early for either of them to know.

However, when the time came he was hoping that the young human could handle the fire demon because he will make her face the most hardest decisions of her life. Nothing with Hiei is ever easy.

* * *

><p>"So here's the plan," Yusuke said as he sat Rin's large spirit egg on the floor, "You're going to stay here with me and Keiko for a few days and then Kurama is going to get you, and then Kuwabara. Remember to keep that necklace on. I don't wanna have to break necks when you're supposed to be relaxing."<p>

Rin laughed as she looked around the decent sized apartment. The floor was carpeted and a nice cream color, the walls an off white that had pictures of the ocean and photos of different people who she assumed was family. They had a large flat screen TV and in front of it was a wraparound chocolate-colored plush couch. Connected to the living room was the Kitchen that was separated by an island that was a pretty white marble. It was a nice size and spotless even though she knew that it was used quite often. It was obvious that Keiko ran the house.

"Come on Rin. I'll show you your room."

Rin turned to the very pregnant Keiko who was wearing a long white night gown. It was only 4 in the afternoon. Being pregnant must suck.

She followed her to a small hallway where there were three doors -Two on the left side and one on the right.

"Our room is the one at the end. Across from it is the bathroom. And this one is yours," she said as she opened that door that was closer to the living room.

"Thank you," Rin said with a smile as she entered the small room.

The walls and the carpet were the same but this room had a nature theme. There were paintings of trees and different landscapes and the colors were bright and crisp. The one Rin liked the most was the largest one in the room and it rested right above the bed. It was of a park Rin did not recognize and while the scenery was clear the people were dark and blurry. Rin couldn't help but wonder why that was.

"I painted those myself," Keiko said proudly by the small door way.

"Really?" Rin asked in surprise as she turned towards the older woman who seemed so average but was anything but.

The pictures looked like something you would buy from the store or an auction and it was obvious that Keiko had a lot of things that she could only express through her artwork.

"It's my passion and hobby."

"They're really good," Rin said as she walked over to the full-sized bed that was covered by a light blue blanket and a white pillow and sat her bag down. She would never admit it but her back was killing her!

"Today we were just going to watch movies and relax. I'm making burgers tonight for the big baby in there. He's been complaining about never eating burgers," Keiko said lightly before leaving the room.

Rin smiled to herself before looking out of the small window. Her smile dropped as she watched the people at the park that was across from them. Old couples holding hands and feeding the ducks, young couples kissing and blushing different shades of red, families laughing and getting along, little kids being mean to each other in their attempts at flirtation.

It was the park in the picture that Keiko painted and she must have done it in this exact room because it had the same view and settings. Rin didn't know why Keiko made the people dark and blurry, a contradiction from the clear and brightly colored nature, but Rin knew why she herself would have done it.

All of those people down below her were faceless strangers and while they looked happy she doubted that they would stay that way. Soon they will be separated rather it was by their own hands or something else while nature will still be blooming and bright. Human grown darker as days go on but nature stays clear and beautiful.

We are our own downfall.

With a sigh she turned to leave the room, leaving her loneliness and longing for something she feared she could never have at the door. In truth, she was no different from those blurry black blobs. It was foolish to ever think that maybe she could have someone to love and in return love her. It didn't matter anyway.

* * *

><p>"What do you want to do today?" Keiko asked, before popping a piece of bacon in her mouth.<p>

"Maybe we can go to the mall? My parents left me some money and I haven't touched an ounce. I could use new cloths," Rin said thoughtfully as she followed Keiko's actions.

"That sounds good to me. Yusuke had to go to work today so it's just me and you. I got leave due to my condition."

They fell into silence as they finished their breakfast and then cleaned up the kitchen. Rin had a subtle frown on her pink lips, and Keiko took notice.

Yusuke informed her about what happened to Rin and that she was fighting depression. It didn't look that way to Keiko.

Yusuke told her last night that something must have happened while they were gone. Despite her deep in thought expression, she still seemed to have a glow about her. The kind of glow that you only get when you meet the boy of your dreams on the most beautiful date, but that couldn't be it. The only "boy who was at the temple was Hiei. Keiko stopped moving, the dish in her hands threatening to fall as she fell deeper into her disbelieving thoughts.

The only male at the temple was Hiei. Could that mean…?

Keiko shook her long brown locks as she chuckled at her thoughts. Like that would ever happen. Hiei may have changed in wanting to KILL humans but he didn't change in hating them.

Still...something was going on and it was only a matter of time before they found out what.

**_A few hours later..._**

"Keiko, I'm so glad we decided to take the car," Rin mumbled as she forced her bags into the back seat.

Keiko nodded in agreement as she carefully got into the driver's side. They had a fun time shopping and just being girls. Rin was never into shopping, but Keiko didn't make it torturous. She understood Rin's liking to plain color clothes. It was obvious if you're a girl who pays attention to fashion, and Keiko most definitely pays attention.

"So who is he?" she said as nonchalantly as she could while making a right turn.

"Huh, what?" Rin replied slowly as she turned her attention from the window.

"You are glowing like a girl in love. I know what it looks like Rin."

Rin didn't know what to say as she stared in disbelief at the older woman who was somehow managing to keep her face blank even though her eyes were exited and curious.

"There is no one," Rin said softly, the slight sad note in her voice not being missed at all.

Wisely Keiko decided to drop it and turned the conversation onto what they had decided to buy and the cute (but homosexual) guy that had helped them pick most of it out.

They pulled up to the apartment complex and loaded out the bags, Rin taking the majority even though she was having problems walking.

They hobbled up the stairs, Rin watching Keiko's every move since she knew this wasn't safe for a pregnant woman.

However, they reached the apartment safely and Rin immediately went to check on her egg the moment she dropped her bags on the floor. Seeing that the egg was three times bigger then her head when yesterday it was the same size as her head, she went back out to retrieve her bags and help Keiko make dinner since they were out for the entire day.

She was happy that Keiko asked her no more questions.

* * *

><p>The moon shone brightly into the dark room as two figures sat in silence in front of the flickering TV.<p>

Keiko had gone to bed a long ago but Yusuke and Rin continued to stay up. They were watching some comedian who was running around the stage like a moron on fire.

"Yusuke," Rin said softly as she glanced at the older man next to her who was trying to stifle his laughter with a creamy pillow.

"You...remind me of my brother."

Yusuke's laughing immediately stopped as he took in Rin's guarded blue eyes and her soft, sad smile.

"Do I? He must have been a cool son of a bitch then huh?"

Rin giggled lightly, "He was loud, impulsive, argumentative, a flirt, loved drinking and a total smartass. He thought with his fist and his heart. I think his heart was too big to think with his head. He always was around when I was in trouble and always protected me when I was too weak to protect myself. Our parents nagged him when they weren't nagging each other, but he stuck around anyways -For me."

Yusuke listened to every word her soft voice whispered. Her brother really did sound like him, and even in this small amount of time, almost a month, he thought of the girl as his sister.

"He sounds kickass to me," he joked lightly, and was happy when he got another small giggle out of her.

Her face was too empty for his liking. She was young and it bothered him that unlike most teens she was not untouched by the cruelty of reality.

"He would have said the same thing you know. Draven was always "kickin' ass" as he called it. He told me I needed to learn his ways," she laughed lightly as she turned to looked at Yusuke.

"The moment he got his own place, I moved in with him. He stayed home from college just to get me out of that house hold. Our parents...fought a lot. When one of them wasn't home for the other to take their anger out on, they took it out on him. When he wasn't home, well that only happened once and it was the first and only time my mother ever acknowledged my presence and it was with a slap to the face."

Yusuke stayed silence as she revealed her past to him. He was the only one she had actually spoken to about her past, and it seemed like she had held all of this in for a while.

"My father used to take me to the park when I was younger. He was a handsome man with black her and dark blue eyes -A spitting image of my brother. He was a nice man who had married the wrong woman. Slowly he turned bitter and miserable. He got into drinking because he couldn't take being with her anymore. I don't blame him. The woman was horrible," she paused as bitterness shone brightly in her dark eyes, "My brother would hold my ears at night as they fought, but I still knew. He couldn't shield me when it was him that was the target. One time he stumbled into my room with a deep gash on his stomach. He never told me how he got it."

She closed her eyes and ran a hand through her silky locks.

"I was at my brothers for a few months. We were shocked when they pulled up in the drive way because we had not heard from then in a long time. They were all smiles when I opened the door and they looked how parents are supposed to look -Happy and comforting, like they actually loved us. They said that they had gotten help, that my mom has been going to anger management and my father rehab and that they were also going to couples therapy. For the first time in my life we all sat down together and talked without yelling and fighting. I had never felt so happy, but then a few days later when they were taking me to their house...we wrecked, and just like that, right when I finally got parents, they were taken from me."

Yusuke stared at the small girl with sympathy hiding in his brown depths. From the way that she acted he figured that she was a good life existed person. She was polite (for the most part) and calm. She didn't seem angry or bitter, or even permanently hateful after she found out about the demon that caused her families death, but now looking at her, he knew that wasn't the case. She had a lot of inner turmoil, and he saw it boiling in her eyes like a pot of water getting ready to over flow.

She was pissed and in pain.

"I don't know how I survived but I managed to, and I'll never forget how my mom's head hit the window so hard that her skull cracked wide open and her...brains were leaking out. My...my father's head somehow got turned around to look at me in the back seat and his empty lifeless eyes wouldn't look away from me. Eyes that match mine and my brothers," she spoke quietly, her eyes still closed even though he could hear how close she was to crying.

"I had nightmares every night after that. My brain replayed it for me like a bad movie. Draven would come in to my room and find me screaming and trashing around in my bed. He would comfort me, but I never once comforted him. He never cried or acted any differently. I never thought about the fact that he may have only been doing it so I wouldn't worry about him. It was selfish of me."

Her closed eyes clenched tighter as she got closer to the end of her story. Her voice becoming more and more haunted with every word that left her lips.

"He made me go for a walk. Said that I had been stuck in the house for so long that I probably forgot what the Sun is. When I came back he was lying in a bloody heap. He had shot himself in the mouth. That image will forever plague my thoughts."

They were silent as they each thought about what she had just said. Yusuke knew that there was nothing he could do to ease her pain, but she didn't just tell him that so he would comfort her. She just wanted to tell someone what had happened and she had chosen him out of everyone else; the impulsive bastard who reminded her of her brother; the one whom she was very close to and was the only person she had ever trusted and had ever truly loved her.

Rin opened her bitter blue eyes and smiled at him before getting up and heading to her room.

Telling him everything was exhausting, but she knew that her story was in good hands. She felt empty at the moment, but relieved that she had finally told someone about her past. Now that she didn't have those feeling resting on her heart she might learn how to feel something knew. It felt nice to finally say it. She looked out of her window and smiled up at the moon.

"I will avenge your death," she whispered gently before laying down and falling asleep, her dainty arms wrapped around her body tightly like she was keeping something in.

* * *

><p>Nothing he did got her passionate blue eyes out of his mind. No matter how much he used the stupid woman next to him, he still thought of her and how she had moved her body with his hand. How she had moaned, how she had kissed him with such a fiery passion that contradicted her innocent attitude.<p>

He was the fire demon, yet she had acted with so much fire and aggression it made him boil. It was the most hypnotizing things he had ever had the liberty of witnessing. He wanted to witness it again.

He growled as he fought to push the image out of his head. It was infuriating and got him heated by just thinking about it.

A devious smirked tugged on his lips as a realization hit him. One night with her, just one night was all he needed and then he would be released from this spell that she had put him under.

He would have to play it carefully. She hadn't known what he was planning, but now she had some idea. He had to make her want him as much as he wanted her.

By the way she reacted to his touch, he knew that if he played his cards right she would play into his hands in no time. Her innocents are what will guarantee his victory.

Without a single word to the naked woman next to him, he ran off into darkness of the night. He will have her. No matter the cost.

-Anything to get her eyes to stop plaguing his thoughts.

They say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, so where do bad intentions take you?

* * *

><p><strong>A:N: This Story is rated M for a reason. Sexual content cursing and violence. It will only get worst from here. that is what the M is for. If you are not of age or have a problem with any of these things than please do not read. While it still will be kept tasteful and the more extreme things hinted instead of explained this is not a story for anyone under the age of consent. <strong>

ninjawolf


	9. Chapter 8

Porcelain Doll**  
><strong>

**Chapter 8: Flirting with Death**

"I hate that you're leaving Rin. It was nice having a girl around," Keiko said softly as she gently pulled Rin into a hug.

Rin smiled," I'm happy you guys let me stay with you for a few days."

"We couldn't really go anywhere since Keiko is so close to her due date. She's only about three months away, so we try to play it safe," Yusuke said as he wrapped his long arms around her small fame and pulled her tightly into his chest in a brotherly hug.

Keiko smiled. She noticed that they have become really close over only a few days' time. Yusuke told her that Rin opened up to him but he didn't say what she said and Keiko did not ask. She loved Rin like a sister and she could see that her demon husband did to.

They heard a gentle knock on the door and Yusuke released the smaller girl. He smiled gently at her before opening the door carelessly, making his wife glare at him in irritation though he didn't notice.

"Hello," Kurama greeted with a pearly white smile and kind emerald eyes.

"Right on time, as always," Yusuke mumbled before picking up Rin's spirit egg and handing it to the red-head.

"Wow, it should hatch at any time Rin," Kurama said gently as he held out his large hand for her to take while giving her a small kind smile.

She put her smaller one in his and they said their goodbyes before leaving the apartment.

"I only live a few blocks down. Kuwabara lives the furthest, which is why he gets you last."

"That makes since," Rin said with a smile as she tried to keep up with his longer strides.

They walked in a comfortable silence as Rin looked around the busy streets. The birds were chirping their rhythmic song of joy and life and all of the people were going about their days; most rushing and paying them no mind as they passed by. Genkia's was nice and she loved the nature that the temple was surrounded by but she missed the city. She wasn't sure why exactly, but that didn't change how she felt.

"It's almost noon. Would you like to go to a small deli and get some lunch?" Kurama offered, breaking the silence with a gentle voice.

She looked up at him and smiled, "Why not."

He nodded slightly before leading her to a small deli to their right.

She happily munched on her food as she looked around the small family owned restaurant. The seats were slightly worn out and a pale blue while the floor was a mixture of yellow and dark blue tiles. It was a nice place with delicious sandwiches and she was happier than she had been in a while.

As her and Kurama talked easily and lightly with one another, she began to wonder why she didn't like him in that way.

He was one of the most handsome guys she had ever met. He was nice, wise, calm and protective without overbearing. She knew that he and Boton had a hidden relationship that they weren't ready to reveal, but surly that wouldn't stop her from liking him. What would though? How come she didn't fall for him like all the other girls in the world did? Even there 16-year-old waitress was eying him so lustfully that it made Rin uneasy despite her older age.

She had never given it much thought, but she had yet to be into someone in that way. No one had ever piqued her interest and she sometimes wondered if there was something wrong with her. She hardly ever registered a guy as a male. They were just another faceless person to her. Is that normal? No, that was not normal and for a moment she was considering bringing it up with Kurama. He did know more things than she could even imagine. Maybe he would have a theory or could at least make her feel better.

Kurama looked up from his salad and smiled a comforting smile, his eyes concerned as he somehow sensed that something was bothering her. Why did a jerk of a fire demon end up being the one she noticed? Why not a very old fox demon that was willingly sitting across from her right now...

"Kurama," she said softly after wiping her mouth with a moist napkin, "sometimes I think that I'm a little more than abnormal."

Kurama raised a delicate eyebrow, "Those are normal feelings Rin, but is there something specific that makes you feel that way?"

She let her eyes rest on her plate that now only had a few fries left and frowned -To tell him or not to tell him; that is the question.

"It's nothing of any importance," she said quietly and due to her head being down she did not see the darkening of his eyes as he studied her.

Nothing ever passes by a fox but he let it drop. If it actually was anything of importance than in time it will be revealed. He had a feeling that thing were going to get even more complicated as time went on.

For Rin's stay at Kurama's, they did little things whenever he got home from work. They went on a picnic, he showed her some beautiful parks and he taught her how to cook a few dishes. The whole time however she had the feeling like he was keeping a close eye on her while keeping himself at a distance.

He always made sure to not touch her and normally things like that didn't bother her but he...kept looking up into the trees when they were outside. That was when he became the most distant. She knew Kurama was very old and very wise, he had finally told her more about ruthless Yoko Kurama, but she still thought of Kurama as her friend along with the rest of them so she let it slide and kept her confusion to herself. She knew he had his reasons and he was never rude to her about it, he just made sure to keep a distance and knowing him it was for a good reason.

But what was so important about the trees? She would never know.

* * *

><p>Rin smiled as she slowly woke up with her belly growling when she smelled breakfast cooking. She knew that today she would be leaving Kurama's, but she was just a tad bit worried. Kuwabara was crazy and hyper; she didn't know if she could handle him for even 24 hours.<p>

She walked out of her temporary room that happened to belong to the fire demon she was trying to forget about. Unfortunately his smoky scent littered the room like trash. Sweet, sweet trash...and now all of her belongings smelled of him.

She entered the modern white marbled kitchen and froze when an overexcited carrot top bounced in front of her; his beady black eyes as wide as they can go as a whole bunch of loud gibberish assaulted her ears.

"We are going to go swimming, hiking, camping, shopping."

Rin's eyes were like giant saucers as she looked up at the tall carrot top who was still rambling on, and on, and on...

"God help me," she mumbled as she lowered her head into her hands.

She already had a headache.

She shot Kurama a glare when his light chuckling reached her ringing ears. He just smiled innocently before continuing cooking. Meany...

He was the most excited about her spending time with them. He was more excited than her actually, but he was sweet and his childish antics were refreshing to her. Kuwabara always seemed to take the edge off of tense situations and he really was a good guy.

After breakfast with Kurama they began the walk to Kuwabara's. After 20 minutes of walking and hyper chatter they entered his apartment and it was very...single male. While Kurama's was clean and decorated in relaxing earthy tones, Kuwabara's was a little sloppy and nothing seemed to match. The couch was tan, the curtains blue, the carpet a cream-white, the lamp red. It was very careless and she found she liked it.

The only thing that she was not a fan of was the musky scent. It wasn't so strong that she could not bear it, but it was still a little unpleasant.

"Unlike the others I only have one room, so you're staying in mine and I'll sleep in the living room," he said as he carried her egg wrapped in a sheet into the room.

"You don't have to do that," she said softly as she followed him.

"When I wake up to go to work, I don't want to wake you up. I'm not Urameshi. I'm a gentlemen." he replied gruffly as he sat down the giant egg.

They got a lot of strange looks during their walk...

She smiled at the taller man and examined the room. It was mainly shades of orange, blues and green. It was a little sloppy to, but not disgusting; just extremely unorganized and random. It was interesting coming here after spending time with the Cleaning Nazi.

Aka; Kurama. Everywhere she went he was cleaning up after her. At least here she wouldn't have to worry about that.

Kuwabara was not lying about the things he said that they were going to do. They went shopping and she got some more cloths. They were hiking and she almost broke her face a few times on rocks and roots. He took her to a water theme park where they pretended like they were little kids and dumped water on one another (Rin tripped him more than a few times though she played it off as an accident), and together they tried to make good meals so neither of them starved. They both ended up getting an upset stomach.

The fact that they managed to pull all that off was amazing to her. Kuwabara seemed like an endless supply of energy and her body ached in a way she didn't know it could. He was one of those people who rarely had down time unless it was for eating. Sometimes he didn't even sit down for that...

* * *

><p>"Today's the day you go back into hiding," Kuwabara said sadly before putting a piece of bacon in his mouth.<p>

"I know, but I had fun," Rin replied softly as she mimicked his actions though her bite was much smaller.

"It's my duty to take you back, so once we're done with breakfast we can get a move on. I want to see my Yukina."

Rin smiled sadly. They were truly a beautiful couple.

Rin's face was red, sad, and she was out of breath when she finally reached the top of the stairs. She was sad that she had to return, but she understood. Sooner or later they would find her and then everyone around her would be in danger. She didn't want to risk that.

"Yukina my love, I'm back!" Kuwabara yelled obnoxiously, almost scaring the skin off of poor panting Rin.

"So loud," she mumbled as she stared at her barely moving feet.

She suddenly stopped as an uncomfortable feeling swarmed over her. Her head snapped up as she looked all around her but at first saw nothing. Only a second later did her ocean eyes landed on angry crimson orbs. Her breath left her lungs harshly as she stumbled back a step in shock.

"He...Hiei?" she stuttered as she took in his narrowed eyes and...smirk? That was a strange combination.

The way the sun hit his slightly dirty figure was strangely...enticing. The wicked smirk and angry eyes only seemed to make him that much more beautiful. His filthy blue shirt and dirt smudged face made her wonder though; what had he been so interested in that he wouldn't shower?

She blinked in confusion when he disappeared, leaving her all alone like he wasn't even there in the first place. She finally took some air into her aching lugs and tried to calm down her racing heart before it decided to stop beating all together. That was the first time she had seen him since...that thing happened. Was it bad that seeing him made her feel weak in the knees? Should she be disappointed in herself for the fact that she truly didn't feel shame for what had happened? With a sigh she headed inside the temple and to her room. She needed to think.

* * *

><p>She had showered, read some of her book, stared at the ceiling, ate some dinner, conversed about her week with Yukina, said hello to Genkia, talked to her egg (Makoto), stared at the walls and ended up doing whatever it took so she wouldn't think.<p>

Every time she thought of the bipolar fire demon it always resulted in a killer headache. She was kind of dreading coming back because of him. She was a coward and didn't want to face him and the strange feelings that he made her feel. It was too strange and too dangerous and she was too inexperienced when it came to this sort of thing.

It was like flirting with death, or better yet standing on the edge of a mountain when the wind is pushing against you in attempts to make you fall.

All of the odds are against you and sooner or later you will face the consequence of standing too close. If you don't fall, the ground will give out beneath you and make you fall; either way you're screwed.

She sighed as she grabbed her acoustic guitar and a faded red pick. She strung the strings slowly and closed her eyes to the gentle rhythm. She had taken lessons for a few years and had a wide range of styles. At the moment however simple chords was all she wanted to hear; simple and beautiful.

When she finally came to an end in her haunted melody she listened to the silence for a moment before opening her saddened eyes. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes wide in terror as her heart threatened to jump right out of her chest and out of her window.

"Hiei?" she questioned so quietly that she wasn't sure he had heard her. Hell, she wasn't even sure if that was really him or if she was just going crazy.

"Play," he demanded as he met her confused eyes.

She blinked in surprised as she relaxed slightly. He wanted her to...play? She never would have thought Hiei would be a music guy. He seemed way too violent and mean for that. Music took passion and emotion and she wasn't sure he knew of passion and emotion outside of fighting and anger.

He watched silently as her face switched between different emotions; terror, confusion, surprise.

She sighed as she decided to actually give him a real song this time, the singing and all. Music was the only thing she could comfortably say she was good at and after a moments preparation she started to slowly strum, closing her eyes again as her voice mingled with the guitars gentle sound.

"If you be my star

I'll be your sky

you can hide underneath me and come out at night

when I turn jet black and you show off your light

I live to let you shine

I live to let you shine

but you can skyrocket away from me

and never come back if you find another galaxy

far from here with more room to fly

just leave me your star-dust to remember you by

if you be my boat

I'll be your sea

a depth of pure blue just to probe curiosity

ebbing and flowing and pushed by a breeze

I live to make you free

I live to make you free

but you can set sail to the west if you want to

and past the horizon till I can't even see you

far from here where the beaches are wide

just leave me your wake to remember you by

if you be my star

I'll be your sky

you can hide underneath me and come out at night

when I turn jet black and you show off your light

I live to let you shine

I live to let you shine

but you can skyrocket away from me

and never come back if you find another galaxy

far from here with more room to fly

just leave me your star-dust to remember you by

star-dust to remember you by"

Once the final notes had faded Rin opened her relaxed eyes and was almost surprised to find Hiei still on her window sill, his eyes closed and his body the most relaxed she had ever seen him. He looked peaceful and harmless as his chest fell up and down slowly as he breathed. The moon was the only thing besides her dim lamp beside her bed that lit up his features.

He looked beautiful sitting there looking so vulnerable…and clean since he appeared to have taken a shower. Damn! Being with Kurama has forever ruined her. Damn Cleaning Nazi...

His eyes slowly opened as he turned to meet her eyes. The expression was so...soft that she nearly fainted when she saw the look. He didn't look nearly as guarded as he normally did and in her chest she could feel her heart jumping lightly as he silently stared at her

"Hiei?" she questioned gently as she sat her old guitar down.

He didn't answer as he gracefully stood up from her window seal and slowly walked to her confused form on her bed.

"He...Hiei?" she stuttered as unease and nervousness flooded her veins.

"What is that contraption?" he questioned -his voice cold and contradicting his eyes.

"It's a guitar," she said gently, surprised that he didn't know what one was.

He didn't reply as she stood up from her spot on her bed and stood in front of him, not liking the fact that he was towering over her and acting strange. There was only a foot between them as they quietly examined one another. Rin barely registered that fact that she was wearing a large white t-shirt with no bra and a pair of underwear. It was midnight; she didn't know he would be visiting unannounced.

Neither of them seemed to know what to do other than stare.

They couldn't forget what had happened before he had taken off and she had left for a week. She couldn't get rid of the feelings she felt when he showed her a side of him that she didn't think he could show anyone else. Why she of all people received such a private gentleness she had no idea, but in this moment that was being spoken through silence she knew that it plagued his thoughts as well. She knew that as he looked at her before him he was remembering how she had reacted to his touch; how she had experience something so intense for the first time and he was the one who had made her feel it.

"You left," he stated coldly.

"So did you," she replied smoothly.

"You're not supposed to leave."

She blinked, "Neither is you Hiei."

He narrowed his eyes, "I can do as I please."

"So can I. I'm not going to rot away here and wait for death to finally take me Hiei. I had a rare necklace that hid all evidence of my presence so lay off."

"Hn."

She snorted in disbelief before crossing her arms and turning her head away from him in a look of defiance.

"I don't see why you care anyway Hiei," she mumbled softly, her eyes showing her insecurity and hurt.

A rough calloused hand cupping her cheek softly made her turn her head sharply in Hiei's direction. There was only a few inches separating them now and she could clearly feel his extreme body heat that gave her chilly body goose bumps.

"I don't have to explain myself to you Onna," he said in a quiet husky voice.

She gasped in surprise as his lips crashed down on hers in a demanding, but gentle kiss.

Her arms didn't hesitate in wrapping around his neck and pressing her body as close to his as she could. He growled in response as he pressed her even closer with his other arm. His kiss and touch always seemed to set her whole body on fire; a dangerous, exiting, pleasurable fire.

He was the only guy she had ever kissed, but she knew that this kind of pleasure from just kissing was not something that most got to experience. Not like this.

She gasped in surprised when she fell backwards on her bed and Hiei took that moment to deepen their kiss. She moaned as his tongue danced around in her mouth with more experience than she knew someone can have. She allowed him to lead for only a moment until she became daring.

She viciously bit his bottom lip; a growl and a moan mixing in with one another left his lips as he pulled back from her mouth. He stared down at her with pure want clouding his crimson eyes as blood, the same color as his eyes, lightly stained his lips. She didn't mean to make him bleed, but she didn't feel guilty about it. Normal Rin would have, but desire filled Rin got aroused by the blood on the fire demons attractive mouth.

Her eyes widened as a choked moan left her parted lips. He grinded roughly against her parted legs, making her lowly belly heat up instantly and it was almost unbearable.

He lowered his bloody mouth to her ear, his breathing harsher than normal.

"Don't tempt me Onna. We'll end up doing something you'll regret," he whispered huskily before crashing his lips on hers again.

She tasted his metallic blood and felt like she was high as it mixed with the sweet taste of his mouth. It tasted intoxicating and the grinding their private parts were not helping to cool down the heat in her body so she could think clearly.

This was totally erotic and she didn't even know she had it in her to be so...animalistic.

"Rin? Are you okay in there?"

They froze in their movements as Yukina's voice traveled through the wooden door.

"Rin?" she questioned again

"Yes. I am fine. No need to worry!" Rin yelled back but her voice was weak and breathless.

"Okay," she replied hesitantly before walking back to her room.

The two intertwined figures on the bed remained unmoving as their breathing tried to even out. Rin was suddenly cold as the heat and heaviness on top of her body disappeared.

Hiei had vanished.

She looked towards her open window and sighed as she leaned back down on her bed, a hand covering her face. What had she gotten herself in to?

* * *

><p><strong>A:N: The song is property of Gregory and the Hawk. It is called Boats and Birds<strong>


	10. Chapter 9

Porcelain Doll**  
><strong>

**Chapter 9: Inner Search**

"What has you so distracted child?"

Rin looked behind her to the porch swing where Genkia was smoking a cigarette. She was perched on the top step and staring at the forest that reminded her of a painting with how the setting sun sprayed across it like a blanket of light.

"Just admiring the view," she said softly as she rested her head on her knees.

"Are you sure it's nothing deeper than that? Perhaps waiting for a certain jackass of a demon to jump out of the trees?"

She stiffened but kept her voice normal, "If you're talking about the demons after me than yes. Speaking of them, why haven't they showed up or tried anything at least?"

She was internally proud of the subject change and how smooth it was. In the past she would never have been so cool and even about it. Score for her!

"I can tell you ladies that."

Rin squealed as she stood up from her step and turned around with wide frightened eyes.

"Koenma, Quit doing that," she cried breathlessly as she placed a pale hand on her racing heart. With the way it was beating against her chest she was half expecting it to jump right out.

"Sorry, but what I have to say is very important."

"Go on," grunted Genkia as she put out her cigarette and crossed her arms.

"Makoto will hatch at any time. Honestly I think he's keeping a small piece of himself in you on purpose because he should have hatched already. It seems as if word has gotten to Amos and the people he has working for him that Makoto will somehow be released. I suspect that they are planning something and it's only a matter of time until they…"

"How is it that they found out?"

Everyone turned to the front of the temple where Hiei stood with his sword out, the tip positioned in a threatening way as he glared imaginary daggers at the person he was ready to use it on. However, the teenage version of the ruler seemed completely at ease, regardless of the threat.

"There was a traitor in Spirit World Hiei. We have sentenced them."

Hiei gave Rin a small glance before huffing something she couldn't understand and putting his sword away. Knowing him it was an insult.

"We will keep you posted. I give it a few days' tops until they make their move," Koenma stated before doing a small bow and then doing his disappearing act.

Rin looked over to where Hiei was standing and frowned when she saw that he had disappeared as well and was now nowhere to be found. She really shouldn't have been so surprised.

"Turned out your jackass demon finally made his appearance," Genkia teased calmly.

Rin blushed as she headed inside. She needed to talk to Makoto and tell him to hatch already. In truth she really had no idea just how bad things were going to get. She was still an innocent mind and had very little experience in everything having to do with life.

Rin knew this and she also knew that she needed Makoto. For whatever reason she already trusted this demon with everything in her and she was scared. Oh god was she scared.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

She was tossing and turning for what felt like hours. Why couldn't she sleep? She felt uneasy, restless, and hot. With an angry sigh she got out of her bed and put on her large red t-shirt and black shorts that she had stripped off due to being so hot.

"What is making me feel like this," she mumbled as she opened her window.

She closed her eyes as the chilly breeze blanketed her clammy body. Still, it was not cold enough.

"What is wrong Onna?"

She kept her eyes closed as Hiei's voice was carried over to her by the breeze. She knew he was in the tree across from her window but how long he may have been there before making himself known was a mystery. He could have been there the entire time, watching her suffer in her restlessness without doing a single thing to help, but she found that at the moment she really didn't care. She just wanted it to stop.

"I can't sleep and feel really hot and restless."

He didn't say anything as he watched the wind blow around her long damp hair. Her skin looked like it had a pick tint to it despite the inside of the temple being only 75 degrees and the outside temperature being a little colder.

He glanced over at her spirit egg and saw that it was starting to glow brighter and was beginning to pulse rapidly and indiscriminately.

"Try to relax Onna. It's nothing serious," he said before disappearing into the night.

She breathed in deeply as she wiped some sweat off of her forehead. Why was it so damn hot? Still breathing deeply she paced her room as she fanned her clammy stomach with her t-shirt. How the hell is this not serious? This seemed like menopause and she was way too damn young to be going through that. What was making her so hot?

She practically ran to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She flinched when the water did nothing. It wasn't cold enough. It just wasn't cold enough!

She moaned as she lowered herself to the floor and sprawled out. This was horrible. She literally felt like she was on fire and it did not feel nice. This was a bad kind of fire; not the kind of pleasurable fire that Hiei made her feel. This felt like when you put your hand on a burner or accidentally dumped hot tea on your lap.

"I need to go outside," she croaked with a dry throat as she slowly got up from the floor.

She stumbled into her room and to the open window. She clumsily reached out and climbed into the tree that Hiei had taken her down that one night weeks ago. When she was low enough to the ground she jumped out despite her shaky legs. She fought to keep herself steady as she wondered away from the temple in attempts to feel the chilly breeze and of course it did not help.

She finally collapsed right outside of the forest; her breathing harsh, her chest burning and her eyes clenched tight as she curled on her side and began to cry. She did not realize that this was where the barrier had stopped. The only thing still protected by the barrier was her feet, but that wouldn't stop the demons that were smirking in the darkness. This was what they were waiting for.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

Hiei fought furiously with the 30 lower C class demons that had surrounded him.

His swords once shiny silver blade was now painted in different shades of red as he took down the demons with ease. The only issue was there were too many and the human Onna was outside unprotected and he could hear her cries from deep within the forest. Hiei would have been stupid to not know what was going on.

When he left the Onna in her room it was because he felt these demons trying to get through the barrier. He didn't know at the time that they were here with a purpose. He should have expected it but he did not think that she would leave her room. If she would have stayed put then he would have been able to enjoy the art of killing moronic demons instead of killing them fast and without torture.

He was sure that her heat rising was because of the demon inside of her, but it seemed like the demons stalking her are taking advantage of her weakness. They were distracting him from going to her.

With an angry yell the fire demon took down the 10 nearest demons with one swing of his katana. These bastards had no idea who they were dealing with.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

"Look who is all alone and unprotected. You should have stayed inside where it was safe."

Rin wanted to look and see who the voice belonged to but she couldn't move. Not only did she feel drained of energy, but the gruff malicious voice that reached her ears terrified her. Where was Hiei?

"Your little fire demon has his hands full at the moment so there should be no interruptions. Come on pretty girl; let's get you away from the barrier."

She held back a scream as the demon grabbed her long hair, wrapped it around his large fist, and yanked her away. He began walking causally while dragging her along behind him and whistling a demented tune. He was acting like he was strutting through a garden on a sunny day instead of dragging a small innocent girl behind him. She bit her lip hard so she wouldn't scream, but a whimper betrayed her when a stick stabbed her in the hip.

He ignored her as he continued to whistle.

There was a loud bang that sounded like a tree hit the ground but Rin was still recovering by suddenly being released. The wind was knocked out of her and it did not help that she landed on a decent sized rock.

She forced herself to sit up on her knees as she examined a large demon with long black hair and bright red eyes. His eyes made red look like the most disgusting color in the word while Hiei's made it look like the most enchanting. He didn't deserve to have those color eyes; not ones so close to the fire demon that has protected her and showed her kindness that he doesn't show others; in his own way of course.

"Show yourself!" the demon yelled as he stood up from the ground and brushed off the white pants he was wearing.

His chest was bare and covered in blood.

A dark chuckled escaped the darkness and Rin couldn't tell where the chuckle was coming from but the demon was staring behind Rin with fear clouding his wide eyes. Something told her that this demon was behind her and if the situation was not so serious she would have smacked herself in the head of being a moron. Of course the demon was behind her!

"Long time no see Jay. You remember what I said the last time we met, correct?"

The demons eyes became even wider as his tan face paled dramatically.

Rin didn't feel threatened at all from this new demon. She may not have been able to think straight but she recognized the voice and it comforted her greatly. Anything recognizable at this moment was comforting to her.

"No, No!" the demon yelled as he turned around to run.

"Tisk, tisk. I've always hated demons that run away from a fight. It's pathetic," the new demon taunted before the running demon dropped over, a throwing dagger right through his heart.

Her eyes were wide and confused as she witnessed the death of another life form for the very first time. She had seen the after math more times than she wanted to, but had never actually seen the life fade from their eyes. At the last minute this demon had his head turned around and she could see his fear. She was not too sure how to handle it so she just sat there with tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry you had to see that little one."

Rin turned around slowly as the tears streamed down more rapidly. She was very sensitive to death and could feel her body shaking as she tried to make some sense of it all. Sympathetic yellow eyes were staring gently into hers and for a moment she had forgotten about the mysterious person who had saved her.

"Makoto?" she questioned as she took in his tied back red hair and bare chest.

She noticed that he smelt like pine and it was just as comforting as Hiei's smoky scent. Why she had noticed his scent of all things was beyond her.

"I'm sorry I took so long. I had to do something before I left. I couldn't leave you helpless."

Without another word he gathered her up in his arms and like magic her tears dried up as a gentle calm settled over her once pained heart. Never had she felt so at home.

"Who are you?"

They turned towards the cold voice and Rin felt her chest flutter and lighten all at once.

"Ah, Hiei! I am Makoto," he said with his psychotic cheerfulness.

Rin smiled at Hiei in reassurance but he kept his bloody sword out. It was obvious he did not trust Makoto if his narrowed eyes was anything to go by. Rin almost rolled her eyes in irritation but found that she was just too exhausted to do anything at the current time.

"What happened to you Hiei?" Rin questioned as she took in his ripped shirt and blood splattered body.

She had a feeling it wasn't his blood and that thought alone made her want to throw-up. That was just plain disgusting! He was walking around like it was just a part of his attire but she was glad that he was not hurt.

"An army of C class demons decided to meet my sword. What happened here?" Hiei questioned as he took in the dead demon a little ways away.

"Jay over there decided to mess with something very precious to me. I told him a very long time ago if I saw him again I would kill him," Makoto said lightly as he giggled almost excitedly.

Hiei narrowed his eyes at Makoto as they silently walked back to the temple. Rin noticed that she was still hot as hell but it wasn't as bad as it had been before Makoto appeared. This was a night she would never forget even though she was already wishing she could.

"Makoto?" she questioned softly as she kept her eyes closed and her hands pressed against her heart so she could make sure it was still beating. It was the only thing keeping her from questioning her sanity.

She was tired and she had Hiei and Makoto both to protect her even though Hiei was currently studying Makoto so if they fought he would know how to take him down. Despite her uncertainty she had never felt so safe.

"Yes Rin?" he replied gently.

"Why was I so hot? I still am but it's not so bad. Earlier I felt like I was on fire."

Makoto was silent for a moment and even though she couldn't hear Hiei, she knew that he was listening in as well.

"Some of me is still in you so your body and soul was trying to fully accept it. I am also your spirit beast now so we are connected emotionally and physically which means that I can suppress your pain. Tomorrow you will start training so you can protect yourself if you need to."

"What?" Rin questioned right as he finished his sentence.

Makoto chuckled lowly, "I left some of my powers in you. You have enough in you to become a B class demon but no more than that. That should be enough to protect you."

Rin was silent as she took in that bit of information. She now has powers and the ability to protect herself. Two things bothered her about that. No matter what happened she did not want to kill and his explanation…didn't seem right. She could feel it through their bond.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

Koenma was contacted and Makoto was introduced to Yukina and Genkia who were awake when they had gotten back. The whole situation was explained to every person involved and the three boys who had to keep up with their everyday lives were to return as soon as they could. Yusuke however said that Keiko was due to have the baby at any time and that they were going to have to do it without him. No one had a problem with it. Keiko should be his first priority and with Makoto they still stood just as strong.

When the two met however everyone was glad that they would be separated. There was nothing but perverted conversations and lots of saké. It resulted in an angry pregnant wife and a beat down Yusuke will never forget. Makoto brought out the dirtiness in the ex-spirit detective and all Rin could do was sit on the couch next Yukina and cover her ears as they stared at one another with open mouths.

She will forever be scarred.

Currently Makoto stood across from Rin in a new pair of black pants that they took from Yusuke's clothes at the temple. It was all training clothes anyway and Makoto didn't really acquire a lot since he refused shirts completely.

"I need you to concentrate. The first thing I'm going to teach you is how to mediate so you can channel the power within you. I am not positive of what powers you will have, because I am a magical demon and we have a wide variety of powers. You were getting hot because the magic was looking deep within your soul to see what you are connected to the most," he pause for a moment as he sat his tall body down.

She followed suit but noticed some sort of detachment in his eyes. Since he had awakened she had spent every waking moment with him and it was odd that he was not warm and playful. What suddenly made him go so cold that he would have to distance himself from her?

"For example, my mother was shadows, my father was lightening. I am something really rare. Most are some sort of physical element like that, I however am combat. I am more dangerous with my body than with weapons. My skin is shielded by a permanent shield that allows me to be hard to hurt and stuck down. I have almost an endless supply of energy as well. I am everything that makes a perfect soldier."

He paused as he looked Rin over for a moment, "We need to know what your powers are before we try to use them. You need to search deep within yourself and feel that power within you. I have no doubt that you won't be like me. Your soul and mind is a very haunted yet calm place and your heart is pure of all taint. Honestly, I have a feeling that I know what you are. Opposites attract after all," he joked but right before her eyes she saw the coldness spreading like an army of icicles. Somehow she knew not to call him out on it and with a sad sigh closed her eyes.

She took a deep breath and tried to empty her mind though it was very difficult at first. She sat there for what she assumed to be five minutes before she just couldn't anymore. Her body couldn't relax and her mind seemed to be trying to pull her somewhere.

"Follow it. Let your mind guide you," Makoto's soothing voice whispered.

Still keeping her eyes closed she stood up and started to walk. She didn't even feel herself move and almost wasn't aware that she was moving at all. It was like she was in a trance and she was following a blue rubber band like line in her mind. She stopped walking as an image seemed to meet her at the end of the rubber band. It was blurry and she couldn't tell what it was with the random splotches of blue.

"Focus, allow yourself to accept the power. Trust yourself and the gift I have given you," Makoto's far away voice whispered.

The vision slowly started to clear as the sound of waves crashing violently took over her senses.

It was an ocean.

She was a little terrified as she took in the image; the pitch black sky and raging waters that was such a dark blue it almost looked black. The water was not clear; it was foggy and diluted. On one end the waves were large and violent, making them look unsteady as they crashed against one another and the shore. They looked almost as tall has a two-story sky scraper and they screamed hatred and angry. On the other side however the waves were small and barely even there. It was calm and peaceful but reeked of sadness and abandonment. How could two opposite reside in one place and manage not to leak on to the other one?

"You have a very tormented soul and mind, yet water is the sign of healing and strength," Rin was confused and slightly freaked out as a gentle feminine voice spoke from somewhere hidden in the skies.

Right before her eyes the reason for the voice appeared and if Rin was not so shocked she would have run away.

It was her, only she had midnight black hair with blue highlights while Rin's was blonde. Her eyes were the same dark blue but while Rin's were plain the woman's had electric blue splashes in them like her eyes got attacked by a paint brush. Regardless, they were beautiful and odd at the same time.

On the right side of her body were striking black tribal tattoos that flowed like water. It started from her shoulder, covered her bare breast and the right side of her stomach, and they also swirled around her right arm and leg. It was soft and elegant but it also had a dangerous edge. This woman was the calm before the storm and in her eyes she gave nothing away as she stared Rin down.

"You must accept these new powers given to you. You must accept your chosen element and the changes that will take place. To be water, you must flow like water. You must be invisible and hard to catch like gas, you must be able to slip through the cracks like liquid; you must be hard and strong like solid. You will become half demon. But only if you accept it," she said as she held out her hand to Rin.

The Rin look alike was half way into the water and a little ways away within a blink of an eye. She was in-between the two different kinds of waves and Rin mentally was moving forward, going after her without really realizing she was. It was hard for some reason for she felt like she had weights holding her down.

"You must fight all doubt. All fear. You must overcome what's holding you down."

Rin fought even more to move forward; she was now at the edge of the water. The water seemed to fight with her but she fought back just as hard.

"You must want it. You must fight," the woman spoke with her apathetic voice as she slowly started to move deeper into the water, her hand still held out though her eyes remained cold and unnerving.

Rin fought harder against the water but the woman still kept moving. The water was yanking, tugging, tripping, pulling, forcing, pushing and Rin just wanted to throw up her hands and forget all about it.

"You must want it," she repeated.

"I do want it!" Rin shouted angrily but she was still moving way too slow. She briefly wondered if there were any sharks or jelly fish in the ocean but quickly forgot about her silly thoughts when a wave came out of nowhere and hit her hard in the side.

"You must want it."

"I do want it Dammit! I'm tired of being weak and having everyone risk their lives for me! Yusuke is having a baby and because of me his wife is in danger. Yukina and Master Genkai are in danger and I have put everyone else lives on hold. I want to help them! I want to help them like they have helped me!"

The woman stopped moving as a small smirk lifted some of the corner of her mouth. Rin kept fighting the water and was moving faster even though the woman was now chin deep into the water, but Rin knew her hand was still outstretched. Rin reached out with her hand and the moment their hands touched they were pulled under the dark water. The woman smiled wickedly at her as she held on strongly to Rin's hand. The grip almost hurt.

"You must need it," the woman said strongly under the water, before she pulled herself into Rin.

Rin was confused for a moment as she wondered where the woman went. She had disappeared inside of Rin. She had accepted her powers and the water element. She tried to reach the surface of the water but found that something was pulling her down. She fought the water with all she had but nothing she did worked. Panic gripped her soul as she scratched at the water in her demands to be released. Her eyes began to burn as her vision began to fade.

"You must overcome fear," she heard a voice say.

What fear? Rin was never afraid of water or drowning.

Death.

She was afraid of death and anything having to do with it.

She stopped kicking as that realization hit her. She was afraid of death. If she kept sinking she would drowned; she would die, but not all death could be controlled. Life and Death is like Ying and Yang. They need each other. They balanced each other. You can't live without death.

Her whole (mental) body seemed to go lax as the water slowly carried her up to the surface. She closed her eyes as she allowed the water to guide her. She trusted it. She felt herself submerge out of the water. Slowly she opened her eyes.


	11. Chapter 10

Porcelain Doll**  
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**Chapter 10: Rin Look A-like and Makoto's secret**

Her vision was blurred and her lower body wet. She was cold and tired to the point of exhaustion. Her eyes finally focused on her surroundings. How had she made it all the way to the beach that Yusuke and the others took her to? That was at least an hour walk. She could have sworn she was only walking for a few moments.

Her body ached, her feet sore and her throat was stinging as she tried to clear it. She had to squint her sensitive eyes and had to fight off the wave of dizziness that violently hit her. She felt like she had spent all day in a barely lit room drinking liquor. Her head was spinning and splitting in two as she tried to get her eyes to focus.

The sun was now officially beating down on her in an angry heat but when Makoto had first awoken her the sun had barely peaked through the sky's transparent clouds. Another strange phenomenon; it was at least 2 in the afternoon.

She looked down and noticed that she was waist deep into the ocean. She groaned as she tried to rub her piercing headache away and made her way to the shore. Her red baggy guy shorts and grey tank top were soaked so she was glad she decided at the last-minute to not wear a white one. That would be too embarrassing.

"Rin."

She looked up and saw Makoto standing a little ways away. He looked proud and was smiling softly. The icy distance what was in his eyes before was now replaced with a sadness that also seemed happy at the same time. She was too tired to ask why he was being so strange and as her eyes fluttered closed, she really didn't care.

She listened with her last bit of consciousness as Makoto caught her falling body.

"Welcome back," he whispered but she was too out of it to fully register what he had just said.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

Makoto walked through the Spirit World halls with his hands in his pockets. He was unhappy with the black t-shirt he was forced to wear. He hated shirts. They were too restricting. He would go without pants as well, but his sister use to yell at him all the time about it. She was a lot more conservative than him. In his respect for her and only her due to the fact that he has no true respect for anyone and their personal values, he at least keeps pants on.

The fire demon that had his little Rin wrapped around his finger of manipulation was walking a little ways behind him in nonchalant silence. Makoto knew Hiei felt for Rin. The only issue however is that feelings don't always fuel people motives. If Hiei knew or realized he cared for Rin, he would have run away from her or done something to hurt her in a fit of rage. It was old magic that had brought the two opposites of people together, but Makoto could not speak of it yet.

They needed to figure it out for themselves and Makoto hoped that the power he released from the darkest parts of Rin's mind would allow her to be strong when that time came. Hiei is dangerous and Rin is fragile. He will use her and take what he wants without a thought of how she feels. Without a thought of how he feels.

To him, he had no feelings. They were a waste. Makoto sensed that in the fire demon from day one. What the fire demon did not know was that he had seen this once before and he knew how it would play out in the end. He shook the thoughts from his head, memories he did not what to remember trying to resurface and haunt him once more. They will know but it will be sometime later when all is said and done. His role is to protect and then stand back and watch. That was all he can do.

"To your right."

Makoto smirked to himself as the fire demon gave him directions. He was untrusting and constantly analyzed his opponent. It was obvious and it seemed like the fire demon had no intentions in hiding his mistrust. He won't put his back to the ancient demon and always kept his hand hovering above his sword; smart move.

"You did what!"

"Either you are stupid, or you're trying to piss me off. Listen Koenma, I did what I had to. You have no choice but to accept it. What is done is done and now she can protect herself when the time arises."

Koenma lowered himself in his seat as he looked at the now scary ancient demon in front of him. Makoto had a temper and his eyes that threatened to spill blood were more terrifying than Yoko Kurama and Hiei combined. Makoto was truly ruthless and had no loyalties; except to Rin.

"I understand Makoto but my father wont. I'm scared for her. She now has ancient blood and is now a demon. That is rare and forbidden for many obvious reasons."

Makoto laughed as he glanced at everyone in the room before turning his attention back to Koenma.

"You don't understand," he whispered as he closed his eyes, "I can't change a human into a demon without extreme powerful magic. There has to be demon blood already there; all I did was awaken it."

Koenma's eyes were wide with shock and recognition. He knew what Makoto had just said and he knew what he meant. Makoto and his family were not loyal to Spirit World, but they did not start fights with them. They minded their own business, but Makoto's sister...she was their best assassin. His sister was the only one besides Rin who had any real place in the neurotic demon's heart. Surprisingly his father had not minded her or her companion that she worked beside before her tragic death.

She was calm, level-headed, and she hated to take lives. She was extremely religious, always praying for the souls that she took and no matter the horrors they had done she always wished for them to find redemption for their crimes. She saw herself as a weapon, not a demon or a killer. She was simply a loaded gun waiting to be used. That was how she thought and for those reasons Koenma always felt that she was a tortured soul; caught between what she felt was right and what she felt had to be done.

"I see…" Koenma said breathlessly as everything seemed to piece themselves together.

He didn't know how he didn't see it. It now seemed so obvious.

"Was she like me?" Yusuke asked, but he knew that something unspoken was happening. He was looking between Koenma and Makoto whose eyes were so cold that they could freeze anyone he glanced at instantly. Never had he seen the demon so serious.

"Something like that," Makoto replied as he put his hands in his pocket.

No one asked what Makoto and Koenma knew. They weren't sure what it was, but each and every one of them knew that they shouldn't ask. Kurama had already pieced together that Rin was nothing like Yusuke. Yusuke showed spiritual awareness and strength. Rin did not. Her demon blood had gotten their some other way and however it may have happened it allowed Makoto to reside inside of her.

The fox glanced over to the fire demon next to him. It was obvious that from the start Hiei had not trusted the older demon. Makoto had secrets but he was not the only one.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

She had never felt so good in her life. The sheets felt nice against her skin and all she wanted to do was get up and move around. She could hear Yukina cooking in the kitchen; the smell of rice balls and some sort of red meat making her stomach growl in hunger. She could somehow sense Genkia in the back of the temple meditating, her energy controlled and swirling around her gently. .

She could also sense Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Keiko, and Hiei all in the living area that was furnished. She could FEEL that Makoto was there as well. He was currently laughing at a perverted joke that Yusuke just finished telling and it had reminded him of something from his past. She had no idea how in the hell she knew all of that unnecessary information and it made her a little uneasy.

She sighed as she got out of bed, not bothering to change out of her red shorts and a grey sports bra. While rubbing the sleep from her eyes she headed to the kitchen, the smell of food so potent in her nose that she could not help herself.

"Hey Yukina, can I go ahead and grab a rice ball? I'm starved."

Yukina was staring at Rin with wide eyes as she nodded her head slowly.

"Okay...thanks," Rin mumbled as she started to eat her snack.

She pushed back her confusion and headed to where everyone was.

"When did you guys get here?"

Everyone turned in her direction, their eyes nearly popping out of their skull as their mouths dropped open in shock. Even Hiei was staring at her, his expression of surprise so obvious and readable that she paused in her step, completely taken back.

"Hello Rin. It's about time you woke up," Makoto said from his spot against the wall.

"Holy hell…" mumbled Yusuke from the couch.

"What?" Rin asked with narrowed eyes.

Kuwabara flinched, "Scary...I never thought you could be intimidating."

"What the hell is going on?" Rin demanded as she crossed her arms.

Yusuke pointed at her and motioned for her to look down and with a roll of her eyes she did.

"Oh my..." she whispered as she looked at her tattooed arm and stomach.

"You're a demon now; a half demon but a demon regardless. You're an ancient magical demon that controls water in any form and that right there is your marking; a unique marking no one else can have and it was a way for our kind to know who was related to whom," explained Makoto, whose eyes were shining in an exited secrecy though his mouth was in a slight frown.

She remembered now. That look-alike who was tattooed with black hair and unique eyes...

"No way…" Rin mumbled as she ran to the window Hiei was perched against.

She had to double take at her reflection as disbelief settled in. Long black curly hair, eyes that were dark blue with electric blue splatters, tattoos all on her right side. She had become the Rin look-alike! She glanced at Hiei who was watching her carefully and very intensely. With her eyes she begged for him to say something, show something, but he remained cold and stoic. He must want nothing to do with her now...

She turned her eyes downward as she turned away from the window and began walking towards her room. She wanted to run but she refused to let them see just how much of a stupid mess she was.

"Rin?" Keiko questioned hesitantly but Rin kept walking, her eyes as cold as she could make them though they could all see her sadness.

Only the clever fox demon and the ancient war demon saw the fire that was set aflame in the fire demons crimson eyes. He was watching her every move through the windows reflection. His eyes were the only indication that he had noticed her at all and they showed more than the demon was willing to act on.

Kurama had to admit that Rin was beautiful before but this seemed to fit her better. It seemed right, and that alone made her much more attractive. He was curious to see how his old-time friend would react. He no longer had her humanity as an excuse. Not like he ever cared about her fragility to begin with.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

"Come on Rin, you look cool as hell!"

"No Yusuke. I'm not hungry."

"Rin," Keiko whispered softly as she looked at the young girl, begging for her to just come with them instead of moping around.

She was sitting on her bed in the far up right corner. She was still in her clothes, or rather lack of clothes, but her arms were wrapped securely around her knees; something she often did when feeling insecure.

"Yukina had slaved over the stove so you could have a nice dinner. She knew that you had been out training and knew you would be hungry. Do you really want her to have done that for no damn reason? While you're up here throwing yourself a pity party Yukina is going to be downstairs with hurt feelings."

Rin finally looked up at Yusuke, surprised by the words he was speaking.

"When I first became a demon, I hid it well, but I was kind of scared and I had no idea what the hell I would be like. I had met a human who became demon and he murdered and left his humanity behind but you're sitting here fussing about how you look, not about how you may become in the future. Are you really that selfish that you hadn't even thought of that?"

Rin flinched back like he had just cut her and with each word he became louder, demanding her to hear what he had to say. He left her little choice because never had she been able to block out hurtful words. He was right; that thought had never crossed her mind

"Yusuke," but Keiko cut herself short when she saw the stern look her husband gave her. Never before had she seen him so serious and irritated.

"You're still Rin. Yeah you may look different but how you look does not matter. It's who you are inside," Yusuke's voice softened as he ran his hand through his loose hair.

He knew by the saddened look on her face that he had made his point. Now he had to wait for her to realize it. He was tough but Rin needs tough. Everyone wants to baby her because she seems so fragile but Yusuke knew the truth. When she had opened up to him he saw who she really was behind her innocence. Rin was a lot of things but weak was not one of them.

"You're right. I feel stupid," she mumbled as she pushed her dark hair out of her face.

Yusuke's eyes lit up slightly but his face remained in a very unusual stoic fashion.

"We will leave you alone. See you in a few minutes down at dinner," Keiko said gently as she grabbed her husband's hand and led him out of the room.

"You didn't have to be so harsh Yusuke."

"Yes I did. She's hard-headed Keiko."

She snorted, "Of course you would know how to handle that situation then."

Yusuke smiled a toothy half grin, "No shit! Let's eat dinner and get you home. They are going to have to do this without me."

"Are you sure they can?" Keiko asked quietly; worry flashing through her wide honey brown eyes. She had faith in Kurama, but she did not have faith in Hiei's loyalty and Kuwabara's strength. Who's to say that Hiei won't leave them all to die and go back to Demon World? Yusuke was always the glue that kept them a team.

"Of course. They have Makoto and Rin is a demon now. I care for Rin and will help if they truly need me, but right now you need me and your due date is coming up this week."

Keiko's eyes softened. Yusuke had come a long way from the 14-year-old punk who chose fighting above everything else. She was lucky to have him and she had never loved him more.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

Rin grabbed a pair of light grey skinny jeans and a dark blue V-neck tee-shirt. She put it on and sighed as she looked at her tattooed arm. It even was on the top of her hand! She couldn't help but be grateful that it was not like human tattoos where you have to sit there for hours and get carved in to. The top of her hand would have no doubt been a bit uncomfortable.

"Hello Hiei," she said gently as she kept her back to him.

They were silent for a moment but she knew what he was thinking.

"I could sense you. I can't seem to turn it off," she said in what she hoped was a light voice as she turned around.

He was perched on her window seal, his eyes guarded as they watch her from across the room. She looked away from him and crossed her arms as unease settled into her heart. Why did her change in looks bother her so much? Did she care if...Hiei wasn't interested in her anymore?

"You don't turn it off. It is part of being a demon."

"Is that so? Guess I'll have to deal then."

They were silent for a moment as she stared at a random wall. It really was quite interesting how they made little deigns on every space of the wood. Must have been time-consuming and a lot of work. She sighed as she pushed away her random thoughts. Since she was a child she would subconsciously distract herself when she didn't want to deal with a problem. She hated that she couldn't face something head on. Why couldn't that have changed instead of her looks?

"Why does it bother you?"

Rin snapped her attention over to Hiei, but his expression was still just as hard to crack. He still looked so cold and for a moment she wondered why he was even asking her that question. She wasn't so sure that he actually cared to hear her answer.

"Why does what bother me?"

"Don't try to fool me Onna. You know what I'm talking about."

She looked to the floor as she crossed her arms. She knew that she was being sensitive, foolish even. She was being vain, insecure, and holding on to something that had never meant a lot to her in the first place. Never before had she taken pride in her looks so since when did she begin to care?

"It's just...I don't look like me, anymore," she said slowly as she moved from one foot to the other.

"Follow me Onna."

She looked up as hot breath brushed across her face. She examined Hiei's crimson orbs for a moment as she tried to read his eyes. They were so cold and guarded that she had to resist to urge to stomp her foot and throw a tantrum. She realized that whatever he was feeling and thinking he didn't want her to know. Did that mean that his soft expressions were on purpose? Did he...did he even feel anything for her, or was it just so he can get what he wanted?

He started to walk across the room and in her curiosity she watched as he opened her abandoned closet with a careless hand. There was a long cheap mirror that was on the inside of the door and she simply just stood there confused. She had never noticed it before because she had always gone to the bathroom if she needed a mirror and by the looks of the cracked and dust-covered glass it is not very popular. She decided that she was going to use it from now on.

"Look in the mirror."

"Hiei," she said softly as she shook her head.

She did not want to see her reflection again. She just couldn't do it.

He was silent for a moment as he watched her stare at her feet. He was never good with emotions but he understood. He thought she was being overly emotional and pathetic, but he still understood the fear that she felt.

"You're scared that you will see a monster looking back. You worry that you will lose yourself and become like the demon that had changed your life. You doubt yourself."

She closed her eyes, "There is a darkness inside of me that I had always felt. I feel it clearly now and it wants to take over me. What happens if it does? That sounds so stupid but it's true. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt like that…"

"You can't live on what ifs. Fear is pathetic and only holds you down. Instead of being sacred of yourself and trying to pretend like nothing is wrong, learn to control it. If not, it will control you. You will murder, you will become your worst fear, and you will hurt the people closest to you. Do you want that?"

She sighed as she tried to fight back tears. She knew she was being stupid but this wasn't a movie where the character accepts it automatically and moves on. She was selfish, fearful, insecure, and cared way too much about what others thought. Those were only a few of her flaws but despite that she was loyal and when she loved it was the true deal. Nothing was more important to her than the people she held close so Hiei's words hurt. How could she ever hurt him or anyone else for that matter? She would never forgive herself if she hurt someone because she was being stupid.

"I know," she said softly, but her feet did not move towards him.

He held out his callused hand; a hand that had taken many lives, innocent and not so innocent, yet, could she say that Hiei was evil? Could she say Kurama, Makoto and Yusuke were evil? They were demons and the truest friends she knew. No, they may have taken lives, gone down rocky paths, but they were not evil and neither is she. Good and Evil, Evil and Good; who's to really say what is right and what is wrong? Everyone has two worlds living inside of them and it all comes down to the choices one makes and what is learned from them.

Her first lesson is self-acceptance.

She stepped forward and grabbed Hiei's hand. He gently pulled her in front of him but she kept her eyes turned away. She knew that in front of her was a reflection of a stranger and while she knew that it was needed that didn't mean that it made it anymore easier.

"Look Onna," Hiei whispered in her ear as his hand gently grabbed her chin and turned her head towards mirror.

All she saw was black hair, tattoos, and crazy colored blue eyes.

"Look past what you make yourself see. See what's truly there."

She sighed as she examined her reflection more closely. Her hair was still long and curly, but it was now naturally soft and manageable. She no longer will have to extra things to it just to get a brush through. Instead of her blinding blonde hair it was black with blue highlights and seemed to compliment her soft and slightly tanner skin.

Speaking of skin, she could not find one single flaw on the now silky flesh. No blackheads, no scars, nothing. Every woman dreams of perfect skin and she couldn't help but reach up and touch her face. Sure enough it was as sooth and soft as it looked. No longer will she have to care about sodas and washing her face constantly. She was going to eat as much candy as she could when she got some down time.

Her eyes were the kind of eyes that told a story of things that hadn't happened yet. The dark and bright blue was brought out by her dark hair and light skin. They were unique and beautiful. The tattoos on her body were warm against her skin and it was comforting. They contrasted greatly against her features and were very elegant and soft. Her most favorite part about the reflection that was before her was the image of Hiei behind her. His soft lips were right by the top of her ear as he looked in the reflection with her. They looked...beautiful together.

"Is it as bad as you thought?" he questioned in a breathy whisper.

Her eyes stared at the reflection of his own with so much adoration that she scared herself.

"No. Not at the moment," she replied gently.

Hiei had no idea what he was doing at the moment. He had told himself countless times that it was purely physical, yet he goes and helps her overcome her pathetic fears? She was still a stupid human, regardless of the upgrade. Still...

The fire demon had felt a pull to her from day one but she was nothing special. For some reason she had appealed to him enough for him to act on a stupid sick desire. Now...now something was different. He didn't understand what but he would fight it no matter the cost. As soon as he found a way to erase her from him completely she will never see his face again.

Once more he felt something strange twist in his chest as she smiled at him in thanks and with one last glance in the mirror she began to walk out of the room. Hiei frowned as he watched her walk away through the reflection, leaving him the way he wanted to leave her. The only difference is he wouldn't come back…and she always will.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

Everyone was crowded around the table. Two people were missing however but only a few connected that the two may have been together. It was normal for Hiei to not be at dinner but it was common sense that he was why Rin wasn't there.

Yukina had just sat down the last bit of food when everyone turned towards the door way.

"Come on little one. The two boys across from me look like they are getting ready to demolish all of it."

Rin smiled kindly at Makoto as she made her way next to him. Sure enough Yusuke and Kuwabara looked like they were getting ready to demolish the table and anything that was in their way. Yukina gave her a gentle and proud smile and then everyone started to eat.

Why was Rin so worried about her change in looks? Friends stay by you no matter how you look or the changes you may go through. She still had a lot to learn, but she hoped that the people around her and the one that she left alone in her room would be patient with her. For once in her life she felt happy and that was something worth the risk.

He watched through the large shadowed tree. She was beautiful, magnificent, and he had never thought that he would see her again; his love, his life. There was no indication that the man was there at all as he scanned the group with his black eyes. He blended in with the shadows and gave off no scent or presence. He might as well have been a ghost and in a way he was.

He was not surprised when Makoto turned towards the window and looked right at him with his yellow eyes. It has been awhile since he had seen Makoto. He should have known that their friendship would make him unable to fool the demon. They grew up together after all. The demon smirked when his old-time friend shot him a wicked smile and winked. It was nice to know he was still the same.

"Makoto, stop taking food off of my plate you cow!"

His heart thumped in his chest as he heard that sweet voice that sounded so much like he remembered. He hadn't heard it in so long. He thought she was never coming back and in his long wait had somehow convinced himself that she wouldn't.

He could not help the airy deep chuckle as he watched the girl beat the older demon with her tiny fist before taking a hand full of rice-balls off his plate. Though she looked so much like her, Katsumi would never allow herself to sink down to Mokoto's level. That thought made him frown.

He would protect her from the shadows but she was not Katsumi. She was just a mirror image of what use to be though their souls were the same. He would have to remember that if he was going to do what he had planned all along.

He seemed to have blown away with the wind as he flew higher into the sky. She would never know that he loved her now just as much as he did then, but she was no longer his to love. Regardless, he would die to protect her even after all these years.

Unbeknownst to the stranger and all of those inside Genkai's temple, a figure was laughing in joy as he watched all of his enemies come together with one idea in mind; to kill him. This was just what he wanted. He will kill each one of them and then murder the bitch who destroyed his life. After all, all good things worth killing take time and strategy and he was going to draw this out as long as he could just to make her suffer.

And suffer she shall.


	12. Chapter 11

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 11: Two months**

Rin had always wondered how a superb day could turn out to be one of the worst ones of your life.

The day started off with her and Makoto continuing to train. It had been a casual week of training and she had been manipulating water and learning how to control it. She couldn't conjure up water yet but she was happy with her progress thus far. On this day however she had managed to hit Makoto with water so hard he stumbled. That was major progress considering all she could do was cool was him off from the harsh Sun or make him giggle because it…tickled him.

That was a huge blow to her ego but she felt revived after making him stumble.

After training, Rin and Yukina had girl time while preparing lunch. They goofed off and managed to take an hour making sandwiches. This caused a bad tempered woman to throw a small fit and the two females quickly sobered up as Genkai watched them closely with stern brown eyes.

Needless to say that was a bit unnerving.

After lunch Genkia helped Rin with her meditating. Rin had managed to succeed until her nose smelt the familiar scent of fire smoke.

Her mind got clouded with thoughts of why the fire demon seemed to back off greatly from her. She knew it had nothing to do with her make over. Her body then began to respond to his...enticing smell and after that she couldn't concentrate, but she had gotten farther than she had before.

Rin then helped Yukina prepare for dinner and once more they goofed off and almost got slaughtered by Genkia…again. That was the most terrifying moment of Rin's short life since this time Genkai showed no mercy. Rin even learned a few more colorful words though she wouldn't dare say them out loud.

It was after dinner that everything went wrong.

1: Rin had her first clumsy moment in a while and if it weren't for a laughing ancient demon, she would have busted her face on the (forever evil and vengeful) stairs.  
>2: She seeked out Hiei and got mad because she could sense him but not find him. Every time she would get close, his energy would suddenly change and he would be somewhere else.<br>3: She stood for an hour yelling into the night, telling Hiei to stop being a jerk and to face her like a man.  
>4: Hiei didn't show up.<br>5: But his sword did and it almost copped her head off.  
>6: He was behind her and threw a fist at her face!<br>7: He did it just to see if she could dodge it. She was pissed.  
>8: She chased him and couldn't keep up.<br>9: She tripped and busted her nose.  
>10: She was now in Spirit World with everyone else, including the fire demon, holding her bleeding nose with the deepest scowl that she could muster on her tiny little face.<p>

They were all looking at her with confused and concerned looks, except one who had a light smirk on his face. She grunted incoherently as she glared holes into the wall. Stupid fire demon…

"Uh," Koenma could sense tension in the room, and by the bouncing of Boton's feet he wasn't the only one. He wasn't sure if he should just come out with what he had to say or sooth the tension first. He decided to just ignore it.

"We have been contacted. Amos had made his move. You won't be happy about it."

Makoto stiffened up and his arms crossed. Just like that the air in the room changed from curious amusement to dread. Everyone sobered up and quickly turned their attention to the young ruler.

Rin put her hand on Makoto's shaking arm. She could feel his hatred but deeper than that was pain and heartbreak. Their bond allowed there to be no secrets between them -Emotionally at least.

"What's the damage?" Kuwabara asked.

It was weird not having Urameshi around. He was the team leader and had always taken charge of their situations. Kuwabara felt like he needed to be the one to ask the hard questions, no matter how scared he may have been. He was foolish in his youth but he wasn't blinded anymore. He saw the seriousness of the situation.

"There is a tournament and he has requested Makoto specifically."

"Then I will go and rid the world of its biggest mistake," Makoto whispered dangerously, his eyes narrowing into small slits.

"That's not all…" Koenma mumbled nervously as he twiddled his thumbs and chewed in his pacifier.

He wondered why he didn't change into his teenage form before this. At least he could die being sexy and that is all that mattered to him. Instead he was going to die being only 2-feet tall. Why must everything be so cruel?

"They want Rin to fight in it to."

"Absolutely not!" roared Makoto so loudly and angrily that Rin stepped back and bumped into Kurama.

He put a comforting hand on her shoulder but did not look down at her. His face was stoic and his body tense. He was ready for war.

"This girl would not last a second in one of those tournaments. You have to kill and fight. You can't have mercy."

Rin glanced over to Hiei but he also wasn't looking at her. It was like she wasn't in the room -like her opinion had no importance. He showed no emotions about the situation. It was like he didn't care at all. Knowing him, he didn't.

"Rin is just a young girl. All of this in new to her," Kuwabara pleaded softly as he remember his near death experiences in his youth. You are never the same after that.

"He sent a video tape," Koenma said hopelessly as he grabbed a remote and pressed play.

Rin had sworn to herself that if she ever heard that voice again that she wouldn't feel fear. She was wrong -So, so wrong, but wrapped around the fear was immense hatred. Yes she hated him but the amount of vengeance she was feeling was…not right. It was almost like she was feeling angry for something she couldn't pin point –for something she couldn't remember.

His voice was squeaky like she remembered, but just the sound put a bad taste in her mouth -a taste of blood and death. She didn't even know that she could put a taste to that. It was things like this that made her feel like an alien in her own skin.

"Hello Koenma. Long time no see aye? I'm sure you have done and put your nose where it doesn't belong, so I decided to send you this message since you're the boss."

Rin stepped closer to Makoto for comfort as she took in the sight of a pure black screen though the voice was still going.

"I'm afraid I can't show myself, I'm sure you know why Makoto, but that doesn't matter. I have been working on another Dark Tournament and I finally have everything set up. I'm sure you are all happy to find out that you are the special guess! I will say that this one is going to be very different so I'd prepare for the unknown. You just might end up fighting all by yourself. So I'd train little Rin, Makoto. If she does not fight I will keep stalking her until she dies. If one of you doesn't win than you all die, but not before I torture Rin in front of you. History repeats itself after all. You have two months to train her. Be wise."

It was silent.

Rin had somehow moved far away from Makoto and the rest of the gang –suddenly not finding comfort in their presence anymore. Her eyes were wide and her mouth open as they all glanced at her with their own glances and little meanings behind them.

Koenma: regretful and hopeless.

Kurama: thoughtful and sympathetic.

Kuwabara: Horrified and outraged.

Makoto: stricken and torn.

Hiei: cold and calculating.

They didn't believe that she could do it –that she could learn to defend herself. They might as well have been planning her damn funeral.

This was her chance to avenge her family's death for crying out loud! Her bothers death, her parent's death…so what if she was terrified?

Still, she didn't want to kill and be like the demon that had destroyed her dysfunctional family. She couldn't be like him and witness that last breath that would be caused by her own hand, but she knew…she knew that she had to be strong and that she had to do what was necessary. She had to separate herself.

She looked at each of them, the disbelief only a mere shadow compared to her anger.

Makoto's eyes were down casted and though he looked livid and ready to kill, she could feel the pain and guilt. He was physically shaking, fighting his temper that resembled that of a match thrown on gasoline.

"We're leaving now. Pack only a duffel bag and make it as light as you can."

"What?" Rin squeaked as she met his eyes in panic.

"I can't do what I need to do here. You have to be trained as much as you can be, it's the only way. We have to leave and go to the Demon World, in isolation. No contact until the tournament."

"The tournament is on the 25th, two months from now. It is taking place in the Human World like always. I trust you will find your own way to the island called Muerte Island. That is Spanish for Death."

"Of course..." Kuwabara mumbled."

Koenma ignored him."There should be a boat to pick teams up somewhere on the outskirts of Japan if that's easier" Koenma said softly as he glanced at Rin's frozen figure.

No one would make eye contact with her now that the decision was made. She realized at this very moment just how real this situation was. She also realized that Hiei did not care and he was not going to stop Makoto from taking her away. His eyes were bored and cold. His posture lax and unfazed. He did not care. That hurt.

And just like the rest he found the wall more interesting than her.

She should have known better, but she couldn't bring herself to be angry with him. How could she when he had been so honest about their relationship? Strictly physical. Nothing else. Really, it was never a relationship in the first place.

Let's forget about the small moments they shared and the way he always looked at her. Such softness that was out of character for him. None of it mattered anymore. She will never allow someone to hurt her the way her parents hurt each other and her brother. Not many people get the love that Keiko and Yusuke have.

Besides, she just might be meeting her family very soon. But at least she has nothing to lose. She closed her eyes tight and made a decision. Her human life was ruined. She still had a life as a demon. She was no longer powerless and weak. She will fight, but doubt she would survive. She would somehow take that bastard down with her.  
>Her soft goodbye was only a mere whisper as she followed after Makoto. No one said anything back.<p>

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

Kurama and Kuwabara spent the next two months freshening up on their fighting skills. It had been awhile, even a longer while for Kuwabara.

This would be their first time as a team without Yusuke. Kuwabara would never admit it, but he was scared. He knew he was not the strongest on the team and he knew nothing of Makoto and Rin's strength. He worried more about Rin.

She was but a mere girl who was thrown into this mess with no information to go on -Much like himself when he got involved with the world of demons.

He was not nearly as weak as he used to be. He was a stupid kid, a rash kid, a proud kid, but he was now a man and had things to protect. He was no longer weak and useless. That had to account for something and he refused to fail.

Kurama had managed to split his time between training, his family, and his hidden meet ups with Boton. What they were doing would get them both in trouble. He knew that people were under the impression that they were dating. He only wished it was that simple.

Kurama had sworn to get away from his demon life, away from Yoko Kurama, away from his past that he still barred guilt over. But he had to find that one thing from his past that he just couldn't live without. Not anymore.

On top of that Kurama had been wary of this tournament. He had a feeling that at some point they would be all alone. Rin was young and new to death and demons. Amos knew that and was using it to his advantage. Whatever it was that they were walking into to, Kurama knew that friendships were going to be tested to the limit.

In the demon world Hiei had been training with Mukuro. The woman had noticed something strange about her fiery companion. Something was bothering him and she could tell because he was constantly distracted. It didn't affect his training and the power that flooded his veins, but she knew better.

He was silent, which he rarely was with her. He never passed up a chance to say a snide remark, yet he never made one. That was peculiar indeed.

Yes, something with her most trusted soldier was definitely askew, but she knew that she would find out sooner or later. Though she had a pretty good guess as to what had him so…determined to sharpen his skills.

She didn't dare say her thoughts out loud.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

The three of them waited in silence, surrounded by thousands of scoffing demons. None of them dared to make malicious comments this time. They had long ago learned their lesson.

"I can't believe we have to take a boat their like last time," mumbled an irritable Kuwabara.

"It is an island you incompetent buffoon," mocked Hiei as he narrowed his eyes challengingly at the taller man.

"Come on now. Don't fight in front of all of these witnesses. It leaves little to the imagination."

The group of men turned towards the feministic male voice as silence overtook them.

"Hey Makoto, where's your shirt?" questioned Kuwabara as he curiously took in the sight of the tall red heads form that was only covered by black pants.

"He tried to strangle me with it when I attempted to force it on him."

Hiei watched with hidden surprise as Rin stepped out from behind Makoto.

Her long midnight hair was braided and sat across her right shoulder and fell right under her breast. Where her once brittle body used to be was now a more muscular and less pudgy. Her legs were covered by tight black spandex pants that showed her more shapely legs and fit her like a second skin. Her torso was covered by a matching tight tank top that did nothing to hide her round breast, but did nothing to flaunt them either. On her feet were her trademark black combat boots, and then there were the tattoos on her right side of her body which only made her appearance more defined.

She did not look like that small feeble girl he had met three or four months ago. At this moment she looked tough and like a demon, but he could not sense her or Makoto's power much to his disappointment.

As her oddly colored eyes briefly met his he saw no fear or doubt. For once since he had known her, he couldn't read past her mask. He wasn't sure why, but that unnerved him. It disturbed him. It bothered him that he could no longer read her mind like a book. She was blocking him out. She had never done that before. He didn't know how he felt about the distance in her eyes.

"It's going to be weird to do this without Urameshi you guys," Kuwabara whispered and Hiei and Kurama silently agreed.

They were jumping into the unknown and the best person at coming out alive was the ex-spirit detective. Who was going to be team captain? Who was going to keep them all together? They all knew that it was Yusuke who kept the group together after all of these years. It was their ties to him -their debts to him.

Hiei stole another glance at Rin but did not say anything. He took into account that she stood far away from him and did not cast him a single glance. He was worried that she was getting too attached and that she had gotten the wrong idea. He should have been relieved. He should have been. But he wasn't, and that was what unnerved him the most.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

"Wow, so far I'm loving this tournament more than the first one," Kuwabara mumbled as he peered out of the large window, his eyes examining where demons battling for their lives was taking place on deck.

"Don't be fooled my friend. Amos simply knows that we will kill every single demon on this ship. There is no point in testing our strength," Makoto said lightly but Rin could see the darkness looming in his bright eyes.

She had taken into account that this ship was more lavished than she had figured it would be. Her curiosity had been peeked more when the captain had led them up some stairs and to a room that was across from the captain himself.

The room had two couches and a small bathroom. It even had a large window that showed where the rest of the demons were below, so they could watch them fight for their place in the tournament. She did not like that they weren't included. It was…suspicious at best.

"We are supposed to be down their proving ourselves along with them. If he can change a rule that had been in place for many years, than what else can he change?"

Even though no one had replied to Rin's voiced thought, they were each wondering the same thing. Amos was not a force to be reckoned with nor was he one that you took lightly. He had manipulation, power, and fear on his side. They had no idea what they were walking into.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

The island was a beautiful land that was covered in large canopy trees that had pink and purple flowers blossoming in gorgeous clutters. Rin had never seen such a place and it was refreshing after being in the Makai. It smelt horrid there to her and Rin cringed as she remembered the random demons Makoto made her fight. However, she didn't deny that in the back of her mind the Makai felt...like home -more so than the human world did. She did not feel the need to hide herself.

Their hotel was a tall sky scraper that looked rather dull compared to the beauty of the island. They were immediately informed by the captain of the ship that there were ancient seals all around the hotel that disallowed any harmful attacks.

Rin could faintly see the stadium far off into the distance. It seemed to be a safe ways from the hotel which was deemed as neutral grounds. That just bothered her more. Where was the ruthlessness that she had been sure they would meet here? She could tell by the unease on her teammates faces that they were wondering the same thing. No one felt the needed to ask it out loud.

Hardly anyone had spoken since they had all gathered in the lounge room of their hotel. It was large with two leather couches, a matching recliner, a small TV, and a small modern kitchen. There were three rooms; two beds each and Hiei had taken a room to himself. No one had the energy to argue or even care.

They had allowed all of the teams to have a day to rest before the tournament started. Rin woke up to find Makoto already gone and her nose told her that Kurama was gone as well. They most likely went to see what kind of changes Amos had made since today was the rules explanation.

With a sigh she got out of bed and put on a dark blue tee-shirt and black stretchy but skin tight jeans. She left her hair to fall down her back in small waves as she exited her room and went towards the kitchen.

She was aware of him sitting on the window sill with his eyes closed. It was just the two of them minus the sleeping Kuwabara. She had not seen the fire demon in so long. You never would know just how much it hurt her to be in the same room as him.

Hiei kept his eyes closed despite her overwhelming scent. He had missed the refreshing intoxicating smell. It brought him peace and...He had to stop himself from slicing his sword through his own head as he cut his thoughts off. He did the right thing by getting away from that woman. He did the right thing...

"Here you go Hiei."

He opened his eyes as he examined the plate full of bacon and eggs. He then turned his attention to the cup of tea that seemed to have been sweetened just to his liking. Slowly he moved his eyes up to look at her exotic ones that were guarded and showed him nothing -Absolutely nothing. Never before had she been guarded especially towards him. Her thoughts did not scream at him anymore and he found it be difficult to even get a glimpse of her mind.

Even as she walked away from him she still showed nothing. Not in how she moved or how she laughed at Kuwabara when he smelt food and barged out of his room like the moron he is. Not even when she had smiled a carefully placed smiled and asked him if he would like more.

The fire demon was far too stubborn to admit somewhere along the way he may have been wrong. In what he was wrong about he didn't know, but it didn't matter. Hiei was a creature without love and compassion. He didn't have time for pathetic regrets over such humane matters.

He watched again as her face remained stoic and she didn't even cast him a single glance of recognition when in the past she would always pass him dreamy glances. He knew that she felt him looking at her. Her demon senses would tell her so.

He mentally frowned. He wondered yet again, if he was wrong once more. What the hell was happening?


	13. Chapter 12

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 12: First Match**

"Have you guys heard from Yusuke?" Rin asked softly as they waited in a poorly lit room attached to the stadium.

"He is doing quite well. Keiko gave birth to twins -a boy and a girl. They were born the first month you were gone," Kurama replied softly.

Rin was silent for a moment as she examined her black fighting cloths in deep thought. Her eyes suddenly became even larger than they were naturally as her mouth dropped open in complete shock. How could she have possibly forgotten?

"You guys," she whispered catching everyone's attention, "I forgot...my birthday."

Everyone was silent for a moment before Kuwabara started laughing obnoxiously. Rin frowned as she sent him a glare that should have set him on fire, however he just continued laughing and it didn't seem to be easing up anytime soon.

"I'm sorry Rin, that's unfortunate. When this tournament is over we will throw you a proper celebration," Kurama said gently but Rin noticed the amusement in his eyes. She couldn't help the small blush of embarrassment.

She was 20 and had been for almost 2 months but now that all seemed irrelevant. It was insane how much Rin had changed and grown in these past months. However, she was sad that she hadn't been there for the birth of the twins. If she gets out of this alive she will make sure to do all she can to be in their lives.

There were pale colored couches all around the dark room but not one of them were sitting down. They were all on edge simply for the fact that the only rule is there are no rules once you enter the ring. Now that Kuwabara's laughter stopped and it was once again silent the air began to thicken. This was more real than anything that Rin had ever done before and if she were to fail the consequence will be dire. How could you not feel nervous about that?

Makoto put a large comforting hand on Rin's shoulder as the door to their room opened and a security guard was ushering them out.

She put her small hand on top of Makoto's as they made their way out of the room and into a small stone room. In front of them was a large stone like door that was currently locked in place. She imagined that from the outside it looked like the rest of the walls.

"Hello, Jesse here! And welcome to the new and approved Dark Tournament!"

The crowd of blood crazed demons cheered as they watched their announcer do an elegant back flips on one clawed hand.

She smirked as some of the males in the crowed cheered for her to do more in hopes that her skin tight black leather top would show some of her female attributes.

She was older than most of the announcers but anyone could easily say she was one of the most beautiful. Her hair was long and snow white, her eyes were like looking into a rainbow colored crystal, and her voice was smooth and calming. Her skin was almost as white as her hair and the black shirt and pants she was wearing complimented not only her completion, but also her curvy hour glass figure.

Her cocky smirk remained but she didn't care for any of this. She was simply bored and needed some way to entertain herself. She had just returned to the real world and was going to find some way to enjoy it while it lasted. No one will ever capture her again because of what she is.

"Hopefully our first match will give us the blood we crave. In our first corner we have Team Digamore!"

On Jesse's left the stone door opened and a team full of different sized demons walked out onto the grass. The demons in the stadium cheered for them and Jesse waited patiently for them to shut up so she could continue.

"On my other side we have the last champions of the Dark Tournament, Team Urameshi!"

Unlike last time trader was not thrown at them as they entered the grass field and looked up onto the stage.

"Hey, our team captain can't make it at the current time!" Kuwabara yelled at the announcer. He had to admit though, if he wasn't in love with Yukina he would have been drooling over her.

"Is that so, well I assume that the runner up would be you? You look to be a big strong man," she said softly as she turned her eyes to him.

Kuwabara swallowed as he looked at her hypnotizing eyes that at the moment were reflecting innocents that at the same time were dangerously wicked.

"Kuwabara, do you mind if I take Yusuke's spot?"

Kuwabara broke his attention away from the beautiful demon and turned his attention to Makoto.

Kuwabara shrugged, "No, you go ahead Makoto. This isn't my fight."

"Hn, how do we know that we can trust you?"

Everyone besides Kurama turned their attention to Hiei.

"Why Hiei, I didn't think that this tournament matters to you. I was under the impression that you were forced into it. Were you not?"

Hiei narrowed his eyes as Makoto smiled at him showing his fangs as his eyes danced with a dangerously cheerful challenge. He was much too old to be talked down to and much too proud to allow it to happen.

Makoto knew that Hiei had felt like he needed to come- he was not forced. No one could force him to do anything and the fire demon knew that Makoto was no fool. Hopefully he realized that Makoto would kill him in a heartbeat if he were to act on his dislike towards the older demon.

"Kurama?" Rin questioned softly as she examined her fox friend.

He was staring at the announcer with wide pained eyes and she was looking at him in confusion and like she was literally in pain. Her hand was over her heart and her other arm was wrapped like her torso. Something here was happening and judging by the look of it the importance was high.

Jesse turned away quickly and shook her head. When she had glanced at him she had saw HIM in his place. His silver hair and golden eyes...but it couldn't be him. It couldn't be him.

She was aware that one of their team mates was named Kurama, but that is just a coincidence. It's just a name. Yes, he reminds her of him, but is not him. He smells human...and like roses...

With a nod to herself she sighed and plastered on a smiled.

"Will both team captain's come on up and decide how the first match will go."

Makoto and a tall demon with long pink hair and pure black eyes entered the ring.

"One on one," they both said at the same time before they turned around and rudely jumped off of the stage.

"Okay then, first one to reach three wins is the winner! Now who's first?"

Jesse watched in silence as both teams muttered to themselves and then finally the largest of Team Digamore entered the ring.

He was tall and wide with short greasy brown hair and matching eyes. He was dark skinned and rippled in muscles. All he sported was a pair of faded ripped shorts that looked like they were going to ripped at any moment. Rin prayed to the one up above that it wouldn't happen.

"Me want girl!" he roared out in a booming deep voice.

Without hesitation Rin hopped elegantly on stage and examined her opponent with cold calculated eyes. He had no weapon but that did not mean he couldn't find one somehow. Perhaps he did not need one; a solid one at least.

Before now her nerves were high but every time she would go to fight something deep within took over. Her fear was deep but the need to protect herself was deeper. It was almost like she was two different people at times.

"We have Ganga from Team Digamore, and Rin from Team Urameshi! Begin!"

Rin remained where she was as she stood there calmly and examined him with her scrutinizing multi colored eyes. Her gaze was so cold and unfeeling that her teammates were a little taken back. That was not a face that they liked seeing on the fun loving girl.

"Stop looking at me like that! You no better than me little girl! I the best demon in the world. I the strongest!"

Rin raised an eyebrow at his grammar but did not reply. She was not a talker when it came to fighting. Get in, get out and move on.

"Stop it!" he roared as he launched his large body at her smaller one.

He blinked in confusion as Rin disappeared right before his body made contact. He screamed in pain as something suddenly hit him in his side, launching his body half way across the stadium in a single motion

"Wow! Rin moved so fast I could barley see her. Right before Ganga's body crushed hers she moved and kicked him harshly in his side, sending him almost off of the ring. I know that's got to hurt!" Jesse relayed as she watched the fight from just off of the rings.

Rin wasted no time in charging towards her opponent, her hands on her weapons that was on her sides.

Just as she expected he had jumped up and went to go intercept her, but right as he reached out to punch her he froze. Screams erupted throughout the whole arena and even managed to drown out the sound of blood crazed demons.

Rin jumped back and held her two twin short bladed swords out as she kneeled on one knee. Her eyes were cold and detached as the demon held his bleeding nub close to his chest. She held no remorse, only a cold determination.

The air was now drenched in a heavy layer of blood and sweat as the demon continued to wail over his lost appendage. Rin was sure that some of it had gotten on her but she did not waver.

"You gonna pay for that!" he screeched as he charged towards her kneeling form.

It was so quick that almost everyone had to blink before they registered what had just taken place. Ganga laid at Rin's feet, his body completely split in two and showing itself to all of those who were looking. The smell was repulsive.

"Gross," Kuwabara mumbled softly as they all looked at the ruined body and stage that was covered in guts and blood.

Hiei couldn't believe that such a meek human girl could be capable of what he had just witnessed. She was so skilled, swift, and precise in everything single move she made. She did the job fast and professionally -something mostly seen in assassins.

She had taken a life and had won without a scratch. She had proved herself to each and every one of them, including the ancient demon beside him who was grinning in pride.

"Looks like this is a definite win for Urameshi," Jesse mumbled as she examined the small demon as she kneeled once more by the gutted demon who was staring up at her with blank, vacant eyes.

Hiei watched curiously as she closed her still detached eyes and bowed her head.

"Let the god's and goddesses grant you peace in the after life," she said in a soft far away voice before staying a moment longer and then making her way towards them.

"What the hell was that?" Kuwabara questioned as he took in the sight with curious and disbelieving eyes. He now saw Rin in a whole different light.

"Her prayer for the dead," Makoto said proudly as she jumped off of the stage and did not say a word. She was always silent after a fight.

Hiei felt pride for what he had just witnessed as well. Never could he have pictured her being strong and doing what was needed over her own feelings and needs. He could see in the buffoons eyes the fear and suspicion as he watched her carefully.

Kurama knew that there was something else to Rin the moment he laid eyes on her and Hiei did to. There had to have been something about her that appealed to him. This was the real Rin. This was who she was meant to be all along. It seemed far too natural for it not to be.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

It had been so long since he had seen her fight. It was truly beautiful and elegant. He could watch her fight for centuries and never get bored. Her body was art and it way she moved it was the most beautiful thing to him.

"She's an interesting one."

He turned his dark eyes to the "captain" of their team. They were almost the same height but looked and acted very different.

The demon standing next to him had short green hair and yellow eyes. His skin was tan and his clothing white. The snake was not as old as himself and you could tell his immaturity by his rashness of his fights. The snake demon does it for fun while he does it because he has to.

"When we fight them she is mine."

The snake demon turned his surprised eyes to his comrade but did not question his intentions. He knew better than that. He had many secrets and another intention for asking to join their team. That was never a secret.

"If that is what you wish."

"Thank you Taro."

The two men fell into silence as they watched the tournament crew clean the mess on stage.

* * *

><p>"Now that the stage is all clean and sparkly, how about we mess it up again?" Jesse yelled into the microphone as she stood in the middle of the stage.<p>

"I'm going next you guys, and shut your mouth shrimp! I will not loose, and I don't care if you have grown a few inches!"

Rin and Makoto looked at each other in confusion before ignoring Kuwabara's words. That wasn't what was important right now at the moment anyway.

Kuwabara jumped lazily onto the stage and removed his shirt, throwing it carelessly behind him. It landed on top on Rin's head and covered a huge chunk of her body.

Makoto started laughing manically and Hiei smirked in amusement.

"See why I hate shirts?" Makoto asked once he stopped laughing and pick up the shirt since Rin was frozen by her rage and shock.

"That was unnecessary," Rin mumbled darkly as she glared at Kuwabara's man stinky shirt.

"Hn, he didn't want to get it bloody when he get's his ass kicked."

Rin turned towards her right and saw Hiei was standing next to her. He looked down at her, a light smirk on his face and amusement shining in his crimson orbs. For a moment she saw lightness in his eyes that she had never seen before.

Rin swiftly turned away from him and turned her attention to the stage where Kuwabara's opponent just entered the ring.

"For Team Urameshi we have Kuwabara. For team Digamore we have Xavier. Begin!"

Xavier was the smallest of the group but he was around the same height as Kuwabara. He had long braided purple hair and dark red eyes that almost looked black.

He was watching Kuwabara with calculating eyes. He was sizing him up, but not making assumptions.

"He's the brains of the team," Rin whispered softly to the two demons standing beside her.

"Hn, he would have been better suited for Kurama."

"I don't know Hiei," Rin said softly as she glanced at her friend who was a little ways away.

He looked lost and completely venerable as he stared at the announcer on the other side of the arena. He was watching her like he was afraid she was going to disappear.

Hiei had followed her gaze and replied with a little "Hn".

Rin knew that meant he saw what she was talking about. Kurama knew that announcer -Possibly in his past life.

Rin turned her attention back to the fight and blinked in confusion when she didn't find one of the two men.

"Where did Xavier go?"

"When Kuwabara charged at him, he sunk into the ground. Now it's just the matter of waiting," Makoto informed.

Rin nodded, and surly enough the demon came up from the ground quick as lightening and through a fist at Kuwabara. Rin smiled as she watched Kuwabara jump away from the blow. He formed his spirit sword and started swinging with a style that was entirely his own.

The demon was taken off guard as he formed his own weapon that reminded Rin of a life savor from Star Wars, except it was purely a long pole made out of a light green energy.

Rin couldn't help but hum the Star Wars theme song under her breath but luckily the two demons on each side of her weren't paying attention- not like they would recognize it anyway.

Kuwabara was doing a good job at blocking and striking at the same time. It was obvious that Kuwabara was more experienced in the combat arena which was strange because the demon seemed old enough to be a master.

"Human, you are more than meets the eye."

Kuwabara scoffed as he jumped back from the demon though it wasn't that graceful.

"I see I'm going to have to take this more seriously than I had originally planned," the demon whispered darkly.

The hair on the back of Rin's neck stood up as the sky suddenly darkened dramatically.

No one spoke as they watched in horror and confusion.

"Rise my creatures! Take out this ningin!"

When his last word left his mouth the ground started shaking almost violently. Hiei reached out to catch Rin when she had lost her balance. She smiled at him in thanks before turning her attention back to the fight.

"Uh, it seems Xavier is showing us exactly what it is he can do!" yelled Jesse as she backed away from the stage and closer to them.

"What the?" Kuwabara yelled as five shadow looking creatures arose from the ground.

"He is physically weak and he knows this. He created creatures to distract Kuwabara and hopefully take him out as well," Makoto stated as he watched the match with a strange look of seriousness and excitement.

Kuwabara quickly went to work at trying to kill the shadow demons but they seemed to only keep coming. He kept swinging and never seemed to get anywhere.

Rin fought to keep the worry off of her face when one of the shadow creatures swiped at Kuwabara.

Blood spurted everywhere as Kuwabara's screams resonated off of the walls of the stadium.

"Kill him!" the audience cheered and it took all of Rin's will power to not go on a killing spree.

The shadow creature swiped at Kuwabara again but this time he barely managed to dodge. Rin turned her suspicious gaze to Xavier and narrowed her eyes as she examined him closer.

His eyes were closed and his head hung like he was asleep. In front of him was another him but he was smirking and taunting Kuwabara.

"It's an illusion," Rin mumbled to herself, catching Hiei and Makoto's attention.

"It's an illusion, which means those shadow things aren't there and those wounds aren't real," she mumbled again as realization hit her.

"Kuwabara, it's an illusion! None of it is real!" Rin shouted just as Kuwabara was swiped at again.

"What?" Kuwabara questioned as he turned his eyes to Xavier.

"You better be right!" Kuwabara muttered gruffly as he ran with all of his strength to the smirking Xavier.

He dodged the shadow creatures with ease until he was right in front of the demon. Kuwabara watched in disbelief as his imaged changed right in front of his eyes.

Where there once stood a smirking demon was now a demon that looked half asleep and completely vulnerable.

With a swift punch to the head, the demon fell over completely knocked out.

It was silent as the shadow demons disappeared, the sky lightened up, and Kuwabara's wounds disappeared.

Jesse hopped on stage and started counting as Kuwabara poked his stomach that was supposed to have a a long fatal gash. Even the blood was gone.

"10! Team Urameshi wins another round!"

Kuwabara hopped off of the stage and bent down to look at Rin.

"How did you know that Minnie Mouse?"

Rin pursed her lips at the nick name, "I looked and pieced it together," she blandly answered back.

Makoto smiled down at her before Jesse's voice met their ears.

"It's seems like Team Digamore's Blitzion is next in line. Team Urameshi?"

Blitzion had long blonde hair and bright green eyes. He wore simple shorts and a white tee-shirt but despite his simplicity and easy smile he looked tough. He brought out a long silver bladed Katana and smirked directly at Hiei who returned it.

Rin blinked in surprise as Hiei suddenly appeared in the ring.

Makoto chuckled, "A swords men VS a swords men. This should be an interesting match.

Rin watched in amazement as they started to circle each other, slowly getting faster and faster until Rin only saw their blurs. Up until now she though she was fast but it was obvious that she just didn't know what fast was.

They stopped and started striking at each other in quick swift movements.

To Rin it looked like dancing as they struck, dodged, parried, ran, jumped, flipped, each having smirks playing on their faces the whole time.

"Hiei's having fun."

Rin turned to where Hiei was standing before the fight and saw Kurama. He still didn't seem like himself and seemed very far away but at least he was participating now. She was getting worried.

Rin turned her attention back to the fight and was once again consumed by the deadly beauty of it.

The way Hiei moved with such grace and agility was breathtaking. She had never imagined that he would fight so beautifully and so skillfully. Until now she hadn't actually seen him fight and she could see that she was missing out.

Rin blinked in confusion at the sudden sight of Hiei's opponent lying across the stage with a deep gash on his stomach. He was surprisingly barely alive but completely in-mobile. He was lucky that Hiei spared him at all.

"That has to be the shortest match I have ever witnessed," Jesse mumbled as she looked down at the bleeding body, "Team Urameshi wins!"

Angry yells and cheers erupted throughout the stadium as the team exited the arena, Kurama at the very back.

Rin had a feeling he was watching Jesse and as Rin turned around to make sure; she saw that Jesse was also watching him with a lost and confused look on her face.

Something was most definitely askew.


	14. Chapter 13

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 13: Raiden**

Rin, Kurama and Makoto sat silently in the crowd of screaming lower level demons. Rin sat in-between her two friends -she had a feeling Makoto made it so. He found these demons in the crowd to be highly revolting and a disgrace to the demon race. Rin found that she was starting to agree the more they hit on her and through other inappropriate comments in her direction.

"Hello, Jesse here, and welcome back to day two of the Dark Tournament!"

Rin felt Kurama stiffen as Jesse's silky smooth voice resonated throughout the stadium as her form appeared in the ring.

"Our first team we get to see today is Team Ichi!"

Rin watched in silence as a team led by a heavy set dark skinned demon made their way into the open.

"Facing them today will be Team Hino!"

Rin watched as a tall demon with green hair and tan skin made his way out with only one other member.

"Hey, where is the rest of your team?" Jesse questioned as she looked at the two men.

The snake demon smirked, "They are not necessary. Hell, I'm not even necessary. Raiden here is going to win us this match."

Rin slowly turned her eyes to the other demon and felt her heart skip a beat by the stranger's familiar face. He had short choppy black hair that fell into his equally black eyes. Actually, everything about him was black except for his silky white skin -His button up shirt, his slacks, his shoes, everything. Even though Rin could not get a clear view of his face she knew he was beautiful. What she did get a good view of was the dark wings that he had tucked slightly into his back. It looked similar to bat wings.

Makoto chuckled, "This should be good," he mumbled under his breath but Rin heard him regardless.

She gave her smirking companion a questioning look but he only nodded towards the ring below.

"I will take on as many as they wish."

Rin felt her blood boil as his smooth, deep husky voice seemed to resonate throughout the whole arena though he barely spoke above a whisper. It was like he was whispering into her ear.

"You foolish mutt, you have just won us an easy win!" the leader of the opposing team bellowed as his team, himself included, appeared in the ring.

Was this demon crazy? How could he take on a whole team without loosing his life in the process? This was going to be bloody, messy, and a total disaster.

"Ok then. Looks like its Raiden VS Team Ichi. Begin," Jesse said slowly before getting away from the soon to be blood bath. Even she seemed weary of what was about to take place.

Rin was not prepared by what she was about to whiteness however. She watched in complete and utter disbelief as Raiden danced around the other five demons with so much elegance and grace that is made her feel like an elephant with one leg.

How could a man so tall be so light on his feet? He looked an Angel to her with his face that never changed in emotion and looked so defined even from this distance. She could tell he was just humoring them, making them mad at the fact that they couldn't get their hands on the more practiced and graceful demon. She would never have a chance with him if she were to ever face him, but she felt a strange sensation over take her as she watched him bring out a long light weighted ninja sword.

Blood of different shades of crimson splattered the stage and the dark demons light skin. The smell made Run's nose twitch as it tainted the air with its rusted scent.

She would not mind loosing to a demon of his caliber. That was the warrior in her speaking.

"The winner is surprisingly Raiden! Team Hino moves on!"

The only demon left standing on the now blood drenched stage turned his body lightly and scanned the crowd with half lidded black eyes. His dark eyes stopped on her and a dark twisted, but extremely seductive smile tugged on the corner of his mouth as he examined her caught off figure in the crowd. Was he seriously looking at her...like he knew what she was thinking and like...they were old friends?

Raiden could not stop the strong amount of happiness and love that flooded his whole being as he watched her stare at him with wide blue eyes. They seemed to glow as they looked at his blood covered form. God, he loved those eyes more than he loved the air allowing him life.

He closed his eyes as an image flashed behind his eyelids. It was her face smiling a rare carefree smile as her eyes sparkled up at him in an innocent joy. A joy caused by the black lace choker that he had woven for her himself out of a very rare material that never wears in time and can never be destroyed.

He opened his eyes once more as he silently made his way off of the blood stained arena. A knot made its way into his stomach as his heart clenched in pain. A pain he has lived with for centuries and will for a thousand more, for his memories will always plague his deepest thoughts and fight their way to the surface.

He disappeared, leaving the snake demon to do and go as he pleased. He may have had respect for the understanding snake demon, but he did not indulge himself in the business of their "team". He was there for his own reasons and Taro knew and respected his wishes of secrecy.

He took off into the sky, stretching his large see through black wings and allowing the wind to caress his body in its attempts to comfort him. To sooth the guilt, pain, anger and self loathing that resided all in the confinements of his heart that he use to not think he had -that at times he wished he would have never discovered.

He descended from the sky and into the forest, his black eyes empty despite his inner turmoil. He landed on his hands and knees, his wings out stretched and wild behind him.

He had landed right in front of a small pond that was void of all animals due to his overwhelming dark presence.

She was the only one who didn't see him as a freak, a murderer, a bastard mutt of a child that killed without any remorse. She did not fear him, she did not loath him and she did not hold back when he managed to piss her off. He was the only one who could for she was colder than ice and it took a lot to bring out the fire within.

He had the chance to allow her to start a new life. He had a chance to break the circle of pain that seemed to always surround her due to that bastard Amos. If he would have known…if Makoto would have known...

He opened his stricken eye as he gazed at himself through the clear still water. His black eyes seemed to start to bleed blue as he waved a large callused hand over the water, causing a small wave that diluted and twisted his image.

He reached that very same hand into his pocket at he pulled out something soft and lacy. A small smiled graced his normally set straight lips as he examined the black chocker in his hands. He fingered the spider web like material in his nimble fingers as he lost himself in thoughts and ever plaguing memories once more.

He closed his eyes again as he raised his head to the Sun that was barely peaking through the protection of the trees surrounding the area. He tightened his hand around the chocker as a larger gentle smile took over his features. A bitter laugh tired to escape but all that came out was a snort.

This chocker did not belong with him. He may have made it but it cried out for its true owner for she has once again returned. He didn't care if she was half human now and he didn't care if she would not remember him. It didn't matter. All he ever wished for her was happiness and if he was not the one to give her such a gift as he once had than so be it. This was Rin, not Katsumi, and Rin does not belong to him as Katsumi once had.

Rin does not love him as Katsumi once had. Yet he still loved her, for she was his Katsumi in mind, body, soul and form. It was the fire demon however that Rin had become the Sun to.

Just like Raiden once had, the fire demon denies his feelings. In his mind he does not love and cannot be loved just as Raiden use to think and believe. He is considered a monstrosity amongst the demons and other beings of the fucked up world. He is a hybrid, a bastard child, a cast aside child due to his creators' choices.

He ravels in that anger and hatred. He embraces that fear they feel and became the monster that they knew he would be if granted life though he truly had a choice. Life has little connotation, mercy is but a word with no meaning, and hatred is the only emotion that holds any recognition. Everything that the fire demon is, Raiden once was -until he met her.

Raiden saw it as the fire demon stood by her whilst they watched their team fight. He circled around her like the moon does to the Sun, for she is what will cast light down upon him and show him the way out of the darkness that plagued his very own being -when she digs deep enough. He will forever be caught in her gravitational pull and Raiden was going to make sure that the fire demon succeeded where Raiden had not.

He will make sure that he succeeds. It is the only way the old elemental bat demon can have peace. Perhaps...perhaps he himself will find a woman to share his life with. One he can find in himself to love and cherish had he once did Katsumi.

No, he will never love anyone the way he did Katsumi. He knew what will happen once all of this was over but that was not of any importance right now.

He took off into the sky, leaving no trace of his presents being there at all.

Yellow eyes emerged from the darkness as bright wild red hair seemed to light up the dim setting. Makoto looked up into the sky with heartrending eyes, all playfulness gone from those endless depths that spoke of knowledge only one can have from centuries of pain and experience.

"Raiden, dear old friend, find peace within yourself for Katsumi did what she did for you. It was the only way her life, mine, and yours as well could be saved. The side effect was to forget her life before her new one, but I know deep down she remembers you and loves you as she always has and always will. Please dear old friend, find the happiness you deserve. My sister did not give up her life with you only for you to waste it away in your own guilt and self wallowing," Makoto whispered lightly as he continued to stare up into the sky that peaked out from the gaps in the trees.

With a gentle sigh he made his way back into the darkness of the woods. Katsumi was the past but Rin is the present and the future. Neither men can change what Katsumi had went through and gave up but they can stop Rin from going through the same thing. It was best that Rin did not know too much of her past and Raiden knew that. It was only a matter of time before everything pieced together and they could all find peace within themselves.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

"Where the hell is that crazy old ancient magical demon bastard and where the hell is Kurama? And dammit why don't we have bacon?"

Rin snorted at what Kuwabara called Makoto but remained in her seat on the couch. She wondered if he knew just how much he had just sounded like Yusuke. That thought made her smile.

"Makoto took off at the end of the first match and when all of the matches were done Kurama said he had business to attend to," Rin said patiently but she knew something was up with both of the men.

Kurama had been strange ever since they saw there announcer Jesse, and Makoto seemed like he was very familiar with that demon Raiden. She could feel a small dose of sadness coming from Makoto and seeping into her even though he manages to keep most of his emotions to himself. It must be pretty potent and unbearable for it to seep out into her so strongly.

Rin frowned for only a short moment before smoothing over her features like she had learned in the Makai with Makoto. She had learned more in those two months than she had her whole life. She had learned the true value of life and just how beautiful even the most insignificant things can be when purged in the right angle and examined in the right state of mind. She also learned how necessary death is and that even the wicked souls deserve some sort of peace. Thus her prayer was created.

Well, actually the first time she took a life it was a bear demon that was too weak and obtuse to control its mannerisms and hunger. The demon was hungry; Rin was looking for wood for their fire. She was just about to scream out for Makoto when the demon charged at her with wide blood crazed eyes and dirt stained honey colored fur. She had reacted so quickly that she stood there frozen as the demon fell down before her, its mid section completely severed in half.

She dropped the sword that Makoto had given her as a present and knelt down beside the female demon staring into her lifeless dim eyes in horror. She had felt disgusted with herself and even more so when a small demon bear cub made its way out of the forest. It let out a strangled cry as it ran for its dead mother. Rin closed her eyes as tears fell down, and then she said her prayer without even thinking of the words. It was almost like she had spoken those words a thousand time before and it seemed to ease some of the pain inside.

When Rin opened her eyes, the demon cub was watching her with sad bright golden eyes -eyes full of pain and recognition, for somehow this small cub had known what she had just done and said. Not knowing much of the demon world just yet, Rin did not understand why the mother seemed so mindless and the cub so intelligent. Makoto had showed up minutes after and examined the scene with careful and uncaring eyes.

He told her that this demon had not eaten in weeks and had been desperate for food. He assumed that she had been feeding her cubs and that they were scarce of food around their home. A hungry demon is dangerous and very irrational.

He claimed that in a way Rin had saved the demons life and the cub's life because she would have eaten her children if she sunk any deeper. That broke Rin's heart in ways that were un-repairable. It was then that she saw the cruelty in the world outside of people picking on her just because they could. People KILL just because they can and at times may not have a choice. At times death is the only way to release a self destructive soul such as the demon mother who had selflessly cared for her children.

She knew after that incident that she had to forget her fear and leave her emotions behind. She built up a mask of solid stone and built up a barrier around her mind so no one can reach her there for what they would find would be the girl's biggest secrets and downfalls. No matter how convincing she seemed she still hated having blood on her hands and she still thought frequently of the fire demon that had shown her something she never knew existed.

It was a weakness that she willed to go away. It was a weakness that she hated with all of her heart. He rejected her and used her for his own needs while saying it was for HER. Bullshit; she now knew better. For whatever reason, Hiei wanted to use her but he will never use her the way he wants. She will not loose her virginity to someone who will not spend their life intertwined in hers. She will not.

"I will be back later Kuwabara."

Kuwabara did not miss the sharpness of her voice and he did not dare complain about being left alone in their hotel room.

He knew things about Rin were different but he didn't know just how much about her had changed or if it was just an illusion that she created around herself.

He watched her leave with her weapon on each hip and a face that was colder than a glacier.

"It only gets worst," he whispered to no one in particular as he walked to the kitchen and pulled out instant macaroni and cheese from the cupboard.

"Good thing this place has a grocery store downstairs. I got to get Kurama to pick up me up some chicken nuggets to go with these," he mumbled to himself as he made his dinner for the night.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

Kurama marched through the halls of the Spirit World, going to where he knew he would find Boton. He opened one of the many doors on his right and peaked around the large study room. In the middle was the table full of large ancient books, and behind the mountain of books was a bobbing blue ponytail. Kurama shut the door quietly behind him before scanning the room once more with is skilled eyes.

Seeing that they were alone he walked further into the room.

"I found her," he said quietly.

Boton jumped slightly in her seat before she peaked around the books with tried eyes but a smile on her chipper face.

"I have something myself Kurama. Maybe we can piece these together and find out where she has been all of these years."

Kurama nodded as he walked closer and sat in one of the chairs surrounding the table swallowed by books that were thicker than Kurama's head.

Taking it upon himself to say what he had found out first, Kurama crossed his legs and leaned forwards, resting his head on his hands after setting his elbows on his knee.

"She is the announcer for the new Dark Tournament."

Boton's eyes went wide as she turned her full attention to Kurama's shielded green eyes. However, he was in so much pain that he couldn't hide it as he normally could. He was fighting with himself and completely unsure of what to do, for once. Boton's sympathy went out to her dear friend. She was the closest to Kurama, for he had trusted her with a secret that not even the fire demon knew.

They had deeper feeling for one another than just simple friendship, but they each knew that they did not belong to one another. Kurama had a long lost mate that had managed to steal his heart as Youko Kurama, and Boton was a ferry girl. She was dead. She also could not deny the feelings that she had for Lord Koenma.

"She was never interested in such pointless activities. She often questioned the pleasure I felt when I stole the most guarded and wanted artifacts in the Makai. She never understood my reasons. I still don't understand them myself besides enjoying the rush and succeeding at the unthinkable. It entertained me," Kurama paused as he seemed to loose himself in a long lost memory as he often did when he was thinking of something that pleasured him and soothed the ach in his heart.

Boton picked up a thick folder and rummaged through it for only a moment before pulling out a thin white piece of paper. She read over it for a moment before handing it to the spaced kitsune. He snapped out of it before blinking and gently grabbing the paper. It was rare that he lost himself like that.

He read over it, his eyes flicking back and forth and becoming more and sterner as he read.

"Amos," he growled deeply, but Boton did not flinch from the antagonism in his voice.

"Kurama, according to Jesse's records she had been taken and somehow disappeared off of the radar until a week before the Tournament began. Being a swan demon it's almost impossible to take hostage without putting them under which takes a lot of skill and energy. There demonic nature takes over when they are trapped and their seemingly weak powers sky rocket and can even take out a demon of the S Class. That is why swan demons are left alone."

"Unless they are powerful at intruding minds. Amos was the one to take Jesse away from me. He trapped her in her own mind and did god knows what while she was under. He knew that I was coming so he released her from his hold in some sort of sick entertainment. He knew."

Boton stayed quiet as Kurama's eyes went cold and his body started to shake in anger that he never showed. He truly must love this Jesse for he had been searching for her non stop for years. Once he heard word that she might be alive. A MIGHT was enough to fill the kitsune up with hope and Boton jumped at the chance to help even though she could get into trouble. Boton reached her hand in her kimono as her hand wrapped around a round object.

"She won't recognize you the way you are Kurama. She is scared and most likely does not know what's real and what isn't. I'm sure if anything she thinks you're dead," Boton said softly as she pulled the object out of her pocket.

Kurama eyed the light pink fruit that resembled a pear and an apple combined.

"I could be punished severely for this Kurama so it has to stay secret and hidden. This fruit is from a tree far away in the Spirit World and it is illegal to have for it can be dangerous in the wrong hands. But I trust you Kurama."

Kurama took the fruit gently before raising his eyes to the pink eyed deity who looked like she was going to cry at any moment. They stared at each other silently, no more explanation needed because Kurama knew of this fruit. It would turn him into his Youko form once more but for only a limited amount of time that was uncertain with each person who ate the fruit. It was temperamental and could add severe side effects but he would risk everything for Jesse.

Boton had risked her life and betrayed her boss's for him so he could save Jesse. She had risk everything for him. A small beautiful smile made its way to Kurama's face as he leaned closer to Boton. He examined her sad pink eyes that were always so cheerful and carefree before he met his lips with hers in a kiss that said everything that they couldn't.

Boton pressed her lips a little harder against his as she stared into his beautiful green eyes that were gentle and regretful as he peered into her own.

They both knew that this was as far at they could go and that they would have to return to their normal friendship. They both were okay with that fact and smiled softly at one another as they broke there innocent kiss.

Boton put a finger to her lips as she smiled at door where the graceful kitsune had left through. A small single tear fell from her pink eyes before she started to put away the books and clean up her face. She would cherish that moment for the rest of eternity and the fact the Kurama was her first kiss made her happy in ways that no one could comprehend.

"Boton?"

She looked over to the door way from where she was putting books away on the shelf. There stood the tall teenage Koenma, smiling at her gently and his honey brown eyes concerned.

Her heart fluttered as she smiled brightly at him, the only man that she loved with her whole heart. Still, one thing seemed odd. When Kurama had kissed her she could feel no wetness on her lips or on his. Was that normal?

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

Rin stalked angrily through the forest, her hand on the hilt of her sword the whole time. Her exotic blue eyes were narrowed and the bright blue splotches seemed to glow, feeding off of the anger coursing through her blood.

She had been walking for a little over an hour now and it had done nothing with her aggravations. With a growl like sigh Rin broke away into a clearing and brought out her sword. What she wasn't expecting was to see a shirtless fire demon covered in sweat with his sword out as well. It was like slow motion as Hiei turned around to face her, his crimson eyes blank and revealing nothing. It only fed her anger more.

He was always hiding his emotions and true intentions. She was hoping that if she did as well then everything would just fade away but NO here she was crumbling before him and she felt more pissed than she ever had before. She felt more used than she ever knew was possible and most of it was caused by this demon in front of her.

She narrowed her eyes and through her sword up to block Hiei's strike. She smirked an uncharacteristic smirk that had Hiei frowning as she unleashed her raft on him. She swung, and swung, and swung, her furious screams desperate and intense as she continued to try to strike the more experienced demon.

He blocked and allowed her to keep going even though he could easily disarm her and have her lying on her back in a matter of seconds. She was angry and he could see now the fear that lay profound in her glowing eyes.

Her movements were getting slower but her anger was still there and fueled by the fact that she could not hit him. But he was stronger, older and an expertise swords man, and while he was thoroughly impressed by her skills he was better and had more stamina to expand than she did.

She finally faltered in her step and he took that moment to disarm her with his own weapon. He tossed his weapon aside as well as she lunged herself at him, screaming in furry as she tired to punch him and trap him beneath her but once again he was stronger and more skilled and she found herself under the fire demon instead. She screamed and screamed as she thrashed about, her weakness escaping her stone walls that seemed to crumple as emotions hit them like a stampede.

"Let me the fuck go!" she wailed as she thrashed and clenched her eyes closed.

Hiei said nothing as he held her in place under him, his crimson eyes watching her loose herself and break down before him. Silent tears escaped her clenched eyes as she continued to scream.

She was hurting.

He knew something was not right when she came back hard as a stone. Hiei knew more than anyone that is was a facade because he himself pulled that trick one too many times when he desperately wanted to hide something from himself and from everyone else. Just like how she desperately wanted to hide her anger and fear.

Her screaming stopped as her trashing slowed down until eventually it came to a stop all together. Her head was to the side as she continued to keep her eyes closed -her breathing ragged and dangerously fast.

Hiei said nothing as he watched in silence, the girl breaking down even more by the second. Surprisingly he was not disgusted by the act of weakness that was displayed underneath him. He himself knows the feeling of hiding his anger to the point of exploding. She was still young and thus had no idea how to handle such extreme emotions.

Her eyes slowly opened as she turned her head up to look at him. The blue in her eyes were bright, but the emotion was dark and seemed to bore right into his own and straight down into his heart. They were tried, angry, confused, betrayed.

Betrayed.

Hiei's frown deepened as he continued to stare into her eyes, searching for something unknown and unfamiliar to him. He wasn't sure what he was exactly searching for and he wasn't sure how he would know if he found it -Whatever it was.

Rin couldn't help the tears that fell as she met Hiei's eyes that held the softness that he shown only her and no one else. He had allowed her to release her furry on him though she was hoping she could inflict damage on him, at the time.

"Let me go." Her voice was hoarse, rough and low as she stared up at the fire demon, completely exposed and vulnerable.

She did not bother to try to hide it from him anymore for nothing she could do now would fix what her breakdown had caused.

Hiei gently loosened his tight grip before heaving his body off of her smaller one and finally sitting on his knees in-between her legs. He watched in silence as she lowered her head and sat up, her dark hair shielding her red face.

She scooted away from him before reaching for her sword, her shirt raising only a fraction and showing the curve of her hip. Hiei drunk in the sight of the revealed skin until she slowly heaved her worn body up and away from his kneeling form. She turned her back to him, her hair blowing to the side as a gust of wind played with the leaves of the tress in a playful brush.

"Hiei...I can't help but be frustrated and a little mad at you. You took advantage of my current situation for your own needs, whatever they were," she said softly.

He rocked back softly on the hills of his boots as his eyes examined the sculpture of her back and the way her it dipped in slightly before coming back out. It was accented by her slender hips and thick thighs.

"I don't regret what we did Hiei because you were right when you said that it would help, but hell if the consequences aren't extreme," she paused to let out a dry laugh that sounded forced and nothing like the beautiful, cheerful laugh she does when the detective does something stupid.

"I can't deny that I feel something for you Hiei. I have since the moment you saved my life in Genkia's forest and I first laid eyes on you. I shouldn't be mad at you because it was my own fault. You made it perfectly clear that it was...purely physical." She closed her eyes as more tears flowed down her ivory skin, a bitter smile on her pale pink lips.

"You know, I have never found any other man appealing like I do you. I have never even truly noticed a man before. They were just faceless people who I never casted a second glance at. But you...you I saw in that first glance and that were enough to make me forever remember you and I will cherish the memories that we do have, even though they may be limited."

She took a deep breath as she shook lightly from the confession that would forever scare him away from her but perhaps that would be for the best because Hiei was on a whole other level than her. He was the moon that she strived for but could never have -The empty barren moon that had so much beauty and strength once you dug deeper and discovered its secrets.

"I know that you do not feel the same way, and its okay Hiei. I wouldn't expect you to," she said softly as she slowly started to walk towards the forest that was surrounding them.

Rin slowly stumbled back to the hotel, letting her instincts guide her as she wondered with her sword by her side. She didn't want to turn around and see the look of disgust on the fire demons face as her confession sunk in and burned him like she was some sort of disease.

However, if Rin would have turned around that would not have been that sight that would have taken upon her eyes. Instead she would have seen Hiei's soft crimson orbs and his slightly parted mouth as he swallowed her every word like it was air and without it he would suffocate. She would have seen the sadness and the desire he felt to jump up from his spot on the ground and kiss her like he had countless times before. To take it even further and take her right then and there, in slow gentle thrust as he savored the feel of her body clinging and withering beneath his own as she moaned and drowned in the pleasure that he was giving her. That only HE could give her,

He looked up to the moon that was now peaking down upon him as the sky darkened and surrounded him in the darkness that he was familiar with. He replayed her words in his head like a broken record yet it was no words that she spoken out loud for it was too private and revealing to her true feelings. She had not even realized that her mental barrier that she had put up had crumbled just like the rest of her had. She had compared him to the moon and had basically called him...beautiful. A word he had never heard anyone refer to him as.

She had down played it. Not only could he hear her thoughts but he could FEEL her own raging emotions. They were so strong and potent that he couldn't escape them. They told him everything that she was not willing to reveal to him. He would have called her a liar if it wasn't for the fact that he could feel what she felt. He was unlovable, had been commend to hate since his birth. He could not love...but perhaps he could give her something close and in the only way he knew how.

That was, if she wanted it.

He closed his crimson eyes and took a deep breath before retrieving his sword and taking off into the night, confused and battling against himself for he had no idea how to handle any of this. This was not what he was striving for when he had decided to start this whole complicated situation. But then again, what was it he was striving for in the first place? He was truly in over his head.

Dark eyes watched from the shadows, a sadness lingering in them as he stared into the now empty field. A bitter smiled was on his lips but how could you watch the woman who was once in your arms fall in love with another demon without feeling something negative?

"You're one step closer fire demon. Don't fuck it up," Raiden whispered as he seemed to blend into the night around him.

The only thing left was the wind that was still playfully rustling the leaves and the moon shining brightly in the sky.


	15. Chapter 14

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 14: Second Match: Part 1**

Rin had hardly slept and Makoto, Hiei and Kurama had never even come back. Kuwabara, being the sweet selfless guy that he was made a simple breakfast for Rin, noticing that she did not eat dinner and he doubted that breakfast was on her mind.

He watched with careful eyes as she picked at her eggs and slowly finished them off, not once truly registering that she was eating.

She was wearing her normal fighting cloths but she looked different than she normally did. Under her eyes were black, she was always off in her thoughts and she wasn't nearly as alive as she normally was. Her eyes were vacant, not guarded like they have been and it seemed like she felt like she had nothing left worth living for and to Kuwabara that was disturbing.

Today was only the second match and it just wasn't the same without Urameshi to lighten the mood. They were already falling apart, doing their own thing for their selfish needs. Only an hour until the match and no one was here besides himself and Rin. Shouldn't they be preparing?

"Kuwabara, thank you for breakfast but I want to go on a little walk. It's a beautiful morning, you know?"

Scratch that, it was just him all alone in this hotel room…again.

"Yeah, go ahead Rin. But our match is in an hour so please be careful. Once out of the hotel all is fair game and you have enemies."

Enemies.

She had never really thought about it before. She had the worst kind of enemies, the kind that could eat her for breakfast if they wanted to. That had her frowning but she nodded once and left the building, heading down the stairs and out of the door.

The morning sun warmed her clammy flesh as she soaked it into her pale pores. The birds in the far distance chirped their morning song as the grass beneath Rin's bare feet tickled the rough skin lightly.

With one hand holding her black boots and the other on her swords hilt, she made her way pass the faceless demons awaiting the tournament and into the woods that greeted her peace and solitude. She started to sing softly to herself as she maneuvered through the thick branches of the surrounding trees, her tone sad and soft as the words barely escaped her mouth.

"Years have passed but nothing is the same

Who am I am now? So much I have changed

Bitter and hateful, is that what I've become?

Will I die in the darkness or strive for the Sun?

Cause I'm all alone, but I make it this way

With no one to lean on, I have strayed

So far away from who I thought I wanted to be

A slave to my anger; I will never be free

A hidden monster that I see in the mirror

Some would say it's a childish fear

To shake in the night from the loneliness inside

That girl you saw yesterday,

She has died"

Rin stopped walking as her words died out and she looked around her surroundings. She had no idea where she was but she was a good enough navigator and knew she could find her way easily enough. But this place she was at, she got a strange feeling from it as she examined it further.

The grass was lush and a vibrant green. The trees surrounded the area thickly, causing a suffocating feel as it blocked most of the suns rays and the sky's view. A single small pond was sitting in the center.

With small slow steps Rin made her way closer to the pond, her heart clenching in her chest at something unknown. She knelt down in front of the pond, setting her boots down besides her as she kneeled over and examined her tired features.

She raised her shaky hand and waved it over the water. It moved beneath her imaginary touch, twisting up her features and diluting the image.

She sat back and frowned as she examined her surroundings once more but nothing explained why she felt like she should be remembering something. A faint scent was in the air, something that she couldn't put in words besides a musky relaxing scent that had no true name. Surly it wasn't coming from any part of the pond. Perhaps someone else had been here some hours ago.

She took a subconscious breath in, her body relaxing but her heart crying for something she did not understand. Her mind was screaming a bunch of nonsense, begging her to remember the smell that she had never smelt before.

A brief flair of power from somewhere behind Rin had her heart freezing over as she was soon up and her swords held out in a defensive pose. The hair on her arms and neck were sticking straight up for this demon was powerful and knew it to.

Her eyes betrayed her mask that she placed on her face as she took in the last person she had expected to see standing their ever so calmly.

His black hair brushed lightly against his thin eyebrows as the wind picked up -her hair that she had down blew along with it. His eyes were empty and almost cruel as he examined her small form that was ready to strike down an obviously more powerful opponent. Well, at least try to.

She didn't like how he was looking at her so...coldly. She narrowed her eyes, but she knew he wouldn't hurt her. She didn't know how she knew or the reason why she wanted to run straight into his long arms and cry her eyes out into his broad chest. Such weakness was unacceptable and he currently would strike her down without a blink of his beautiful vacant eyes.

"I will fight you when the time comes and you will give it your all."

Rin blinked and faltered in her defensive pose as her confusion made its way up to her eyes. His voice was just how she had first heard it. Dark, deep, cold, a mere whisper, yet it somehow it carried itself through the air and to her ears. Her face redden slightly in a light blush at the sensuality of his voice so close to her ear.

His eyes lightened softly as a small brief smile seemed to paint itself onto his face for it was just too perfect and breathtaking to not be a painting, but it was only a split second before his cold expression was back in place.

"Surly there is another team mate of mine that will better suit your needs and expectations," she said quietly, thinking of Makoto who seemed to somehow know of this demon.

He tilted his head to the side as a perfectly sculptured eyebrow rose delicately. Amusement flashed through his eyes as a deep chuckle left his mouth.

Rin's breath caught in her throat as the dark sound whispered into her ear just like when he was talking. It was majestic and powerful, making her feel for a moment that she was not worthy of hearing the sound.

"They can not give me what I need little one. Only you can by fighting me with everything that you have."

Rin wasn't sure when her defensive pose had dropped and she had stood upright once more. She examined his face that was now staring up into the canopy of trees, a mask so skillful and exact that it gave her no answer to the questions that she couldn't decipher in her own chaotic mind.

As she had expected, he was beautiful. Strong jaw, permanent bed room eyes, skin that looked like the finest silks. His body was lean and posture full of a power that made him seem like he should be in a palace somewhere instead of fighting demons beneath him.

He gently turned his half lidded eyes to her and examined her with a delicacy that made her feel like he was afraid he would break her under his gaze. Or like if he truly looked at her she would disappear and forever be nonexistent.

Rin frowned as that thought seeped into her brain, not truly knowing where it had come from in the first place but somehow knowing that it was true. She felt foreign in her body and like she didn't truly know herself at all. It was ironic considering that this man standing before her she had never met before, yet she felt like she knew him better than she should a stranger.

"Fine Raiden, if that is what you desire. But be prepared to get your ass kicked real good."

Rin was slightly surprised by her playful tone and the smile that followed afterwards. The way his name slipped off of her tongue like she had said that name 10 million times before made her heart flutter lightly in her chest.

He returned a smaller version of her smile, making her cheeks heat up in response as his eyes warmed slightly. His taller frame began to slowly walk towards her.

She was screaming for her body to get in a defensive pose but she couldn't get herself to move. She simply looked up at him as he towered over her, a carefully placed expression on his godly face.

Her breath hitched as he reached his long arms behind her fragile frame slowly like he was afraid he'd scare her off.

They were so close that she could feel the heat radiating from his chest that lightly brushed against her pointed nose. She closed her eyes as his fingers brushed lightly against the back of her neck, heat left behind by his light traces. They were so gentle, like he knew just how she liked to be touched.

The contact was soon gone. Rin opened her eyes and frowned when she saw that he was gone as well, leaving nothing besides that sweet lingering feel of his calloused fingers on the back of her neck.

She reached her hand up to her neck and felt a soft material clinging comfortably to her skin like it was made for her and only her.

She quickly turned towards the pond and knelt down as her eyes took in the beauty of the choker. It was black and resembled something like a spider web. The material was so soft and warm against her skin. It felt comforting and like it was coaxing calmness into her very soul.

She took a deep breath in, not even realizing she was holding it. That was when she had smelt it. A strong musky scent that she had smelt just before he had made his presence known. Realization seemed to have dawned over her as she fell back onto her butt.

"It was you," she said softly -her expression soft and confused.

A little ways away dark eyes watched, longing filling his chest with tears that he would never shed and actions that he would die before taking for they were selfish and she deserved much more than that.

She subconsciously remembered him. He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, no longer able to look at the woman who so long ago had been in his arms and yet no longer could be -Such a cruel twist of fate for such a bittersweet happy ending.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

"Where the hell are they?" Kuwabara yelled angrily as he waited in the room they were all in last time.

"My apologies Kuwabara."

He turned in relief towards the door that lead to their waiting room and was happy to see the fox. Kurama looked as he always did, giving nothing away on the fact that he was somewhere in the woods all night long.

"I say whoever didn't fight last time gets to fight this time dammit."

"Hey Makoto," Kuwabara greeted as the shirtless demon made his way in while voicing his opinions on who fights.

"Hn," the fire demon grunted as he made his way in only a second later before distancing himself from the group and leaning against the far wall, his eyes wondering around the room.

"Kuwabara, where is Rin?" Makoto asked lightly, a clear sign that his anger was rising to anyone who has been around him like they have.

"I went for a morning walk. I'm sorry to have worried you."

The men turned their attention to young demoness as she entered the room, her mask letting nothing show as her fingers brushed lightly against her choker.

Makoto did not bother to hide the gentle smile as he examined the choker; happy to it was where it belonged. Rin met his eye, confusion leaking slightly through her mask. He gave a secretive wink, making her blush lightly.

Hiei watched the whole exchange with narrowed empty eyes but he kept silent, noticing how she would not turn in his direction and the dark circles that plagued her features. He had no idea what to do or if he even wanted to do anything at all. All he knew was the choker bothered him greatly.

"What do you think our matches will be like this time you guys?" Kuwabara questioned.

"I think we will have to fight in two teams of two," Makoto said without a second of hesitation.

That had everyone turning their full attention in his direction.

"If that is what we are looking at, than whom shall the teams be?" Kurama questioned while fingering the small piece of fruit in his pocket.

"Hn, the fox and I will be a team," Hiei said from his dark corner.

Kurama nodded, confirming the fire demons offer. They fought well with each other and could read the others mind without using Hiei's Jagon eye.

"Rin, what do you say?" Makoto said softly as he turned his attention to the girl who was still by the door.

"Sure Makoto. It would be just like when you were training me."

Makoto smiled at the small girl as his eyes sparkled playfully.

"We don't even know if that is what's going to happen," Kuwabara grumbled, obviously put out by the fact that he was left out.

No one answered as they all fell into silence, waiting for someone to come get them.

Rin felt like a caged dog that was starved and tortured for others sick amusement. She hated this. She hated fighting. She hated that she had no choice but to fight until someone stronger took away the air in her lungs. She knew that was only a matter of time because so many of these demons could kill her with only a flick of their wrist. Three of those were in the same room with her.

She hated to think that she was the weak link. They had more experience and in the end knowledge of what you are facing is what is important. A weak demon could kill a stronger one if they out smarted it in someway. Power was only a small fraction of what makes you a warrior. As least that's what Makoto had told her.

Rin felt a large hand on her shoulder and knew it was Makoto. He had felt her distress through their link that was caused from the spirit egg that had somehow brought him back. Though her face showed nothing Makoto always knew the truth and that made her feel guilty.

He was very dear to her, her best friend right next to Yukina who was just as much of a sister to her as Makoto was like her brother. He could usually keep his emotions from seeping into her yet Rin could not do the same. He had to feel her weak human emotions but he never seemed to mind.

Makoto, Yukina, Yusuke, Keiko, Kuwabara, Kurama, Genkia, Boton, Shizuru and even Hiei were her family now, and she would gladly die to protect them. No matter the cost. She will push down her weakness and her fears and become a blood lust monster if that is what it takes. She would blow up the world for any one of them.

"Come on," the same worker as last time said as he opened the door and ushered them into the stone room.

"Guys," Rin said softly in the small confinement.

Everyone turned around to look at her small figure in the back.

Everyone watched in surprised as a huge carefree smile lit up across her face like a firework released in a pitch black sky. They had never seen her smile so big and genuine before, and three of the men couldn't help but return it while the last one smirked in response.

"No matter what happens lets kick some demon ass," she said lightly, sounding an awful a lot like Yusuke.

"Yeah!" cheered Kuwabara, his smile mimicking Rin's

Kurama nodded in response as he smiled softly at her. Makoto chuckled and high-fived the exited Kuwabara. Rin turned her attention to Hiei, her smile now a small gentle one. His crimson eyes were amused as his smirk showed his agreement. His gave a slight nod which Rin continued softly.

Neither of them knew what was going to happen by the end of this tournament. They did not know if they were all going to make it for plenty could happen when a sick man is in control over the operation. They didn't need unresolved issues between them when everything was as unpredictable as it was.

The air was light as the stone door started to rise and they all walked out side by side. Makoto in the middle, Rin on his right and Kuwabara on his left. Hiei was next to Rin and Kurama next to Kuwabara.

"Facing team Urameshi today is Team Tahoe," Jesse's smooth voice said as the stone door on the other side of the stadium rose...to reveal a team of girls.

"Looks like you have no reason to be upset about not being in a team Kuwabara. You can't fight anyway," Kurama said lightly, amusement flashing through his green orbs.

"Dang," Kuwabara mumbled as he took in the tall attractive females. Xavier was just a warm up. He was looking for some real action.

"Will the team captains come on up and tell us how the matches will be played."

A tall woman with long golden hair and matching eyes made her way to the stage, her large seductive hips swishing to a tune only she could hear.

Makoto met her half way and she smirked at him, "How about us captains have a little fun and get included aye?"

"You read my mind beautiful. What are you thinking?" Makoto flirted, obviously liking the powerful air the woman produced.

Rin took into account how each of the women had the body of a goddess yet not one of them dressed skimpy in the least. They each wore a leather type material that have no sleeves and resembled a turtle neck. They each wore the same kind of pants as Rin but they each had their own color. The team's captain had black.

"I say lets form two teams of two and have a big show down right here. One of our team mates will stay on the sidelines and not help in any way what's so ever. However, teams can help one another and you must defeat all four on the opposing side."

"What do you know, Makoto was right," Kurama joked, obviously in a lighter mood than he had been in.

Hiei snorted as Rin shook her head in disbelief.

"All this time I just though he was senile in his old age," she mused to herself but they had heard.

"How old is he?" Kuwabara questioned.

"I heard him talking to Yusuke about meeting some guy named raisin before he became king."

"Raisin? Like raisin brand?" Kuwabara questioned.

"No, it's Raizen like Ry-Zon," Kurama corrected as he turned his attention back to the stage, but not before a small chuckle left his lips at the innocent mistake.

"What do you know, I was just talking about that to my team mates before we came out here," Makoto said lightly, obviously exited.

"Wonderful," the demoness purred as she turned around and to her team, her hips swaying once more.

Makoto did the same, giving Rin an immature thumbs up while nodding like a hormonal teenage boy.

"Hey I thought he was into men," Kuwabara mumbled to himself.

Rin snorted, laughter bubbling in her throat and causing her to start choking. She felt someone hit her back a few times and nodded thanks to Hiei as laughter filled tears oozed from her sparkling exotic eyes.

"That kind of thing does not matter in Demon World Kuwabara," Kurama answered calmly, use to the young mans blunt questions.

"Of course you would say that flower boy," Kuwabara mumbled, "But I can't see shorty over there going for a man. That would just be weird. Then again, what kind of woman would want him?"

Once again Rin was choking on air as tears flowed from her eyes. Makoto and Kurama turned amused eyes over in her direction as Hiei once again patted her back and glared dangerously at the human who wasn't even paying attention to the scene he was creating.

"I bet you she would look like a man. Fat and ugly to, with long man eating teeth," Kuwabara continued, not even noticing that he was thinking out loud.

Hiei growled dangerously, his free hand going for his swords hilt. Kurama was biting his thumb, trying to keep his laughter inside while Makoto laughed without a care.

Rin finally got a grip over her choking form and stood up straight, hiding the blush on her face as she peaked at Hiei through her black bangs. He gave her a glace, making sure she was fine before he stopped patting her back and continued to glare at the human.

"Um guys, can we start the match please?" Jesse questioned, her diamond like eyes looking at them with amusement in their sparkly depths.

"Of course Miss," Kurama replied, his green eyes looking at her so intensely that it had her blushing.

Rin almost missed the slight movement to his mouth and his throat moving like it does when you swallow something. He met her curious gaze before his eyes flashed gold and a wicked smile graced his features.

Well, okay then. That was weird.

"Something is wrong with Kurama," Rin said gently to Hiei.

He turned his crimson orbs to her confused gaze and then turned to Kurama.

He smirked as his eyes lit up in excitement.

"He found a way," was all he said before he jumped up onto the stage, Kurama following.

"Come on," Makoto said as he to jumped on stage, Rin following as she pushed back her confusion.

Kuwabara was left alone to ponder what kind of girl Hiei would be in to, none of them being pleasant.

The team captain and another woman with short crazy bright red hair and matching eyes were across from Makoto and Rin, while across from Hiei and Kurama was a woman with light purple hair and eyes and a woman with emerald hair and eyes. Their clothing all matched their hair and eyes except for the captain.

"Its Tahoe's team captain Bryce and Blaize VS Team Urameshi's stand in captain Makoto and Rin. And then we have Hailey and Jade VS Hiei and Kurama. Anything inside of the ring goes. Begin!"

Rin didn't even have enough time to get out her weapon before Blaize was on her with furious punches.

Rin dodged, barely escaping the taller woman's faster movements.

She wanted to see how her team was doing but knew that Blaize would hit her straight in to a casket if she turned her attention even a fraction away.

"You're faster than I thought you would be. How about we take it up a notch water girl?" Blaize's sweet voice taunted.

Rin froze as Blaze engulfed herself in bright blue flames that already had Rin sweating. This was not good.

Makoto was laughing manically as Bryce swirled her long mahogany staff elegantly with a great amount of force. His forearms were starting to hurt from having to block the blows and since his skin was made for strong hits it was an accomplishment.

He was having more fun than he had in a long time and it was with a beautiful girl. That made him happy in more than one way. If he didn't kill her than he was going to have to work the Makoto charm on her because she was just too gorgeous and dangerous for him to ignore.

Then again, she was a Hedonic demon and they were seductive in their blood thirsty nature. Makoto found it interesting that the rest were elemental demons, and even more interesting that Blaize was among them.

"Pay attention Makoto," Bryce purred right before swinging her fist as hard as she could and connecting it to the side of his face.

Makoto's head only moved to the right a small fraction as a giant smile and playful eyes stared at the demoness with great approval.

"You have my undivided attention Lovely," was his only reply before he dived at her viciously, holding nothing back.

Hiei was bored.

This brainless purple skimpy bimbo was definitely their weakness link and it wasn't because she was physically weak. She was an incompetent moron. She controlled the wind, why didn't she use it to stop him instead of flailing her arms about like a damn five year old?

"Stop moving you sexy little demon!" she screeched as she ran around in circles after him.

He growled in frustration as the mindless woman kept screaming for him to stop running and to let her touch his hair. This woman was going to pay in the worst pay possible. There was no way he was going to let her live after this.

He growled again as he finally stopped and flared his demon energy. However it did not give him the result he wanted as he turned around to glare at the woman who was smiling and trying to give him what she thought was a sexy look but she just looked constipated instead.

"Yum. A strong demon and a sexy one, all wrapped in one like a present. A present just for me! Hailey likes what she see's." the demoness purred as she brushed her hands over her large breast and all the way down to her most private part, moaning as she touched herself.

Hiei's eyes went wide before he brought out his sword. This was getting ridiculous.

Kurama and Jade were in a steady hand to hand combat match, each sizing the other up. Kurama knew she was an earth demon and most of his plants would be rendered useless against her.

He mentally smirked, noticing Jesse watching them from the sidelines next to the stage. She was going to finally see who he was and that he had never gave up on her. He can change into Youko any time he pleases and has been able to since right after he ate a piece of the special fruit.

When he tested it last night he found that it made him almost able to switch without the fruit at all. He just had to be careful to not eat anymore when he gets to that point. He couldn't just drop his life of Shuichi Minamino without cutting ties with the human world.

He had his mother, brother, and step-dad to think about. It would break their hearts if he never returned. They would investigate it and never find him, and then the government would just assume he was dead. He couldn't do that to them.

He reached into his hair and pulled out a blood red rose. Jade watched in curiosity as the half demon in front of her changed. His hair grew out and slowly bled silver, his green eyes turned golden, his skin paled as he went from being her height to towering over her. His clothes changed into something that not many demons' now a days still wore.

Standing before her was none other than Youko Kurama, the master of manipulating plants and the notorious thief who had just revealed himself once more a few years ago.

She smirked, "Ah, so now it's just a matter of skill and who's better at what they do," she teased as her green eyes sparkled in mischief.

Kurama smirked before forming his rose whip, but not before making eye contact with Jesse. She was crying.


	16. Chapter 15

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 15: Second Match: Part 2**

Rin had no idea what she should do. Her swords were useless because her opponent was one big flame. Her only choice was to use her water but she had to use enough so it wouldn't turn into gas. The only thing she could do with gas was create enough to fog up the area. That would do no good.

She couldn't use ice because it would melt before even reaching her. It was like this woman knew all of Rin's weaknesses. She frowned as she dodged a fire ball that was hurled her way. She barely caught herself with her hands as she stumbled away from the flames.

She looked back to Blaize and watched the flames as they flickered dangerously around her.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she noticed something peculiar about Blaize's left side. It was weaker and the flames weren't nearly as strong and natural as on the right. She has to concentrate to keep that side steady and strong, but if she were to get distracted...

Rin nodded to herself before reaching in her boot and pulling out a small throwing dagger. Rin stood up from her crouched form with barely enough time to dodge Blaize's dangerous form.

Rin ran as fast as she could away from Blaize before spinning around faster than she ever had before and launching the knife threw the air.

"Fuck!" Blaize screeched as she turned her surprised eyes to her right shoulder.

The flames that she had to work harder to keep up almost diminished as her focus was broken. Rin wasted no time as she manipulated the water in the air with everything that she had. A huge water ball 5 times the size of Rin was hurled towards Blaize, a perfect temperature so it wouldn't melt or turn in to gas when it got close enough.

Blaize, noticing what was happening at the last minute, hurled a fire ball at the fatigued Rin who was starting to see doubles.

The water hit Blaize with so much force that her flames disappeared as she became soaked and flew off of her feet and across the arena, a crater left in her wake.

All Rin saw after that was blue flames and a flash of black.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

Hiei was getting sick of this stupid wenches squeaky voice and annoying methods of flirting. Every time he would try to strike her down with his sword she would float out of the way and giggle like he was doing something cute.

What was even worst was how she kept touching herself and moaning his name like HE was touching HER. The only thing he would touch the wench with was the sharp end of his sword and the only reason she would be moaning would be because of the pain as she drown helplessly in her own blood. It was pissing him off. She was surly not worthy of the dragon for even it would refuse to go anywhere near her and throw her up if it did.

He smirked as he pulled off his head band and revealed his Jagon eye.

"Ew! What is that thing?" she screeched, making him flinch as the most annoying sound he had ever witnessed threatened to blow his eardrums.

He just grunted as dark a purple light engulfed itself around him. She dropped to her knees as she gripped her head -an ear splitting scream resonating throughout the whole arena, making the fire demon smirk in triumph but finding her screams more annoying than her talking voice.

That was when he saw it, the massive water ball flying through the air and a stronger yet smaller fire ball sailing right passed it. It was heading towards a kneeling panting Onna who had to stupidly use all of her energy in one move when she should have preserved it and only used as much as she needed and no more.

"Moron," he grumbled before forgetting about finishing off his withering opponent and suddenly appearing in front of Rin.

He did not have enough time to pick her up and move her so he did the only thing he could think of doing. He jumped in front of her and drew her into his arms and against his bare chest.

He gritted his teeth as the fire hit his back and spread out around them in a half circle. He was not expecting it to hurt considering that he was a fire demon just like her, but right now was not the time to question her usual fire.

His hand was wrapped in her hair as he held her head under his chin and his other arm pressing her as close to him as he could. Her body was in-between his legs as he balanced them by still standing on his feet but in a low crouch.

"Hiei!" he heard Kurama yell and he wasted no time in flinging his sword behind him, piercing the wind demons heart who had intended in taking him off guard.

Such a waste of his time.

"Well, look at that," Makoto mused, his eyes examining the scene before turning his attention to the panting woman in-front of him.

"Tired?" he teased.

She glared half heartedly at him before falling forward in exhaustion.

He caught her gently as he smiled; happy he didn't have to kill the only woman who had ever caught it attention. She was strong, fearless, and determined. Not to mention beautiful.

She was fast, viscous, and held nothing back, but he was stronger. Of course he would have to be if she was going to be with him. He can't risk her dominating him like her breed like to do.

He ran a large hand through her golden hair, loving the feel of the soft silk. He gently laid her down and looked around at what was left.

Blaize was somewhere knocked out in a large crater; Hiei was burnt on his back and hid his pain well as he pulled the drained Rin onto her feet. Kurama was just standing there with his arms crossed and looking around at all of them with a delicate silver raised eyebrow.

Makoto had felt the shift in power and he knows very well who Youko Kurama was. He thought it was humorous that all that was left of his opponent was a flower bed. No one can beat Kurama at his own game, that was for sure.

Jesse could not believe it. It was him and she had watched him change right before her very own eyes. She had watched him create his trademark rose whip, had watched his slight hand movement as he used his rose whip to plant a seed inside of the other demon. She watched as it bloomed into different varieties of beautiful flowers.

She knew she was supposed to be doing her job as an announcer but she just couldn't find her voice. All she could do was cry as she watched his tall frame dance around as his long hair followed the breeze and trailed off behind him. He was just as godly and ruthless as she remembered.

"Jesse, the match is done."

She blinked her diamond eyes as a smooth husky voice drifted into her ear. A voice she hadn't heard in so many years due to not knowing that anything had happened because of someone messing with her mind. In her mind he had just took off and she couldn't find him. When she woke up she had heard that he had died and that she was to announce this tournament.

She felt so lost and just couldn't stop the tears falling down her pale face, but as he softly looked at her with those golden eyes and urged her to do her job; she just couldn't help but comply with what he wanted.

"Team Urameshi wins," she said quietly into the microphone.

Youko walked over to the dead opponent in two long strides and plucked a purple flower with his clawed hand.

He walked over towards her and knelt down.

"We will talk when we have time Jesse, but for now I need you to trust me," he said softly as he gently wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumb.

She couldn't control it anymore and she soon found herself in his strong long arms; the one place where no one can ever get her. Her savior had come once again and he rescued her just like he did when they first met.

He held her tightly to him as he sat her in his lap. He stroked her hair and cooed to her softly. They didn't know how long they would remain together this time, but whoever wanted to separate them again was going to have one hell of a time pulling it off.

"Due to personal ties to a contestant, Jesse will be forced to resign in her place as an announcer," an old woman's voice said over some intercom that Rin couldn't find.

"I didn't want to do this shit to begin with," Jesse mumbled in Kurama's chest as he stood up and pulled her with him, not daring to let her go just in-case she disappears again.

"Team Urameshi will also be required to fight another round due to one team mate interfering in anther's fight.

"What!" Kuwabara and Makoto shouted angrily.

"Amos is just pissed that Hiei saved me from getting cremated," Rin mumbled into Hiei's chest.

If he were to move she would surly collapse and she didn't mind leaning on him for support or the fact that he was allowing her to.

"Go ahead and replace me, but the deal was that team mates could help one another!" Jesse yelled angrily.

"Team Urameshi will fight another match," the intercom responded.

"Hn, they failed the last time they tried this and they will fail again," Hiei said coldly, subconscious pulling Rin tighter against him.

"Hiei, you and Rin sit this one out. You two are too hurt to fight at the moment," Kurama offered, but his voice was strict and dared Hiei to argue.

Rin looked up as Hiei looked down at her, his expression unreadable.

"You're hurt," she said softly, a frown on her face at the thought.

"And...you have a third eye?" she questioned as her eyes widened in amazement as the Jagon peered down at her as well.

The side of Hiei's mouth tugged up in an almost smile before doing his normal grunt and leading her off of the arena. Kuwabara took Rin from Hiei and lifted her tired form off of the stage and then putting her gently down in the grass.

Hiei stood beside her sitting form, reminding her of a guard dog. Rin giggled softly making Hiei turn questioning eyes towards her but she just smiled sheepishly in response.

Kurama and Jesse soon made their way in their direction and Rin could see the bond between them clearly now. They looked like they belong together for their curves in their bodies even matched.

"So this is your true form. I love the ears," Rin said lightly.

He just smirked as Jesse reached up and stoked them lightly, a playful giggle escaping her pink lips when he purred like a house cat.

Hiei snorted as Rin felt tears whelm up in her tired eyes at the scene. It was beautiful and Kurama deserved love more than anyone she knew. He always seemed so lonely.

Rin looked up onto the stage as Makoto dragged two knocked out with him-Bryce and Blaize. She was happy that Blaize had lived; she was the hardest opponent she had faced and she only won by luck, but Rin was slightly put off by the fact that Makoto was literally dragging her by her hair behind him.

"What are you doing Makoto?" Kuwabara questioned as he looked at the two passed out woman.

"I'm going to mate with Goldie Locks here and I happen to know Blaize."

Kuwabara started to choke at the bluntness of Makoto's words and Rin's face and ears became scarlet red.

"She is a beautiful one. We were talking before the match. She is surprisingly nice," Jesse said lightly, not affected by Makoto's honesty -Must be a demon thing.

Makoto just smirked as he laid the two women a little ways away from the stage in the grass, images of how he can bring out her most vicious side flashing through his perverted mind.

"Hello! I'm taking Jesse's replacement. My name is Dawn!"

Everyone turned their attention to the stage and sweat dropped as they looked at their new announcer.

She was wearing a pink G-string bikini and as beautiful as her tan body was, that was just too much. Her large breasts were hardly being contained as she pranced around the stage. She had her long black hair in pigtails and her bright blue eyes were bigger than even Rin's, making her look like a child who hasn't grown into her eyes yet.

"Out of everyone they send her," Jesse mumbled in complete disbelief.

"That's just repulsive," muttered Rin as she shook her head at the over revealed demoness who was sucking in the attention she was receiving.

"Hn," agreed Hiei as he glared at the horny crowd with eyes that could set them on fire.

"Hiei, you watch over Rin and Jesse," Kurama reminded as he glanced at the fire demon.

Hiei was not hurt by the fact that Kurama had kept things from him. Hiei keeps things from him as well but they had a mutual understanding that was still just as strong and because of that he nodded in agreement.

He would never admit it but his back was killing him and he did not trust to leave Rin alone with only the announcer as protection. He should have been the one to fight the fellow fire demon instead of that mindless wind wench.

"Facing Team Urameshi will be Team Craven."

Everyone watched in silence as the stone door opened and power engulfed the whole stadium.

Everyone of these demon were of the A class, and while Hiei, Kurama, and Makoto were of S class that hardly meant that they would win. Besides, Hiei was not fighting and in his place was Kuwabara who would not last a second against one of these men. Not unless they found one who was sloppy.

"Uh guys," Kuwabara said nervously, knowing that he had his work cut out for him.

"That bastard," Rin whispered -her body frozen in fear at their combined power for she barely even reached to a B class.

"He knows were not in top condition so he sends a team that would be hard to defeat even if we had not just used some of our energy. Clever," Kurama said coldly, his eyes narrowed.

"We all fight together. That is our only chance because no offense Kuwabara, but you would be lucky if you made it out alive if you went head to head with one."

"No offense taken Makoto," Kuwabara grumbled with wide and worried eyes.

"Is that wise?" Hiei questioned, glancing at the frozen Rin beside him.

She was obviously mad and worried.

"You are staying with them Hiei. If you were to fight right now we would just have to watch after you to. We both know that the fire that hit you had the ability to drain you of your demon energy. You can't even summon your fist of the mortal flame let alone the dragon."

Hiei narrowed his eyes at the fox as the cruel reality of his words struck his ego with the angry truth, but he stayed silent, not even a grunt to voice his disproval.

Makoto had a good idea and it gave them a little bit of a chance if they played their card right. But if they didn't play their cards right if would turn into a bloody massacre and everything would be for nothing.

Makoto entered the ring as the other team captain did.

Rin hated the look of him -Short blonde hair with two matching horns on his head, bright turquoise eyes that stared at Makoto with disgust -like Makoto was beneath him.

"Both teams have decided to have one big fight! How exiting!"

Jesse, who sat down next to Rin snorted as the new announcers annoying voice squealed in excitement.

"You know Jesse," Rin said after Kurama and Kuwabara went on the stage with Makoto.

Jesse turned her curious eyes towards the smaller young demoness next to her.

"I was wondering why Kurama was single. His human form is almost as handsome as his demon form and boy do those human girls try to win his heart -Turns out it has already been won."

Jesse smiled, "Yes, his human form is quite handsome. I just couldn't believe that it was my same Kurama. I was told he was killed by a hunter."

"Nope. He found a way to survive by merging himself into an unborn fetus inside of a human woman. His human name is Shuichi Minamino."

"Interesting," Jesse mused.

"Hn, stop gossiping like two old woman and watch the match. Makoto is in trouble."

The two women quickly turned their attention to the arena.

Rin would have been struck down by worry if she wasn't already sitting down. Kurama and Kuwabara had their hands tied with one opponent, Kurama helping Kuwabara the best that he could while fighting his own battle, but Makoto had three which was including the captain. He didn't seem worried at all, confident but cautious as he dodged, completely put on the defensive.

Rin watched in horror as Makoto moved at the last minute, making one of the men stab his team mate.

"Ruthless," mumbled Jesse as the man cried out for the guy who he stabbed and just happened to be his brother.

"You moron!" the captain yelled as Makoto hit the guy hard on his head, making him fall on his dead brother.

"There we go, now it's more of an even playing field. You know, there's more than being strong, as I have just demonstrated," Makoto said lightly, a sadistic smiled that could chill even Satan.

Confident that Makoto would be okay, Rin turned her attention to the only person she was truly worried about. Kuwabara.

He looked like he was faring pretty well as he parried with his spirit sword. He was bloody though and looked like a truck had run over him and then backed up over him once more.

Rin smiled when Kuwabara got a punch in and stabbed the demon with his sword. However the demon got one more hit and that had Kuwabara's nose gushing out blood like a rapid river.

"That's gross," Rin mumbled but then turned her attention to Kurama.

He didn't have one scratch on him from what Rin could see; as he was playing with his victim like a fox would its prey.

Finally getting bored and seeing that his team mates were done, he flicked his rose whip slightly. The demon fell apart into tiny pieces, blood splattering everything surrounding it.

"Gross!" Kuwabara yelled as he looked at the scene before gagging.

"Oh Kurama! You should be an artist!" Makoto squealed, reminding Rin of a little girl who just found her perfect Barbie doll.

"There is so much about Makoto that makes me wonder about his sanity," Rin mumbled, making Jesse laugh softly.

"They actually get worst, trust me. His idea of beautiful is just different from most."

"Apparently," Rin mumbled, she to disgusted by the demon parts that landed in a pile on the arena.

"Looks like Team Urameshi are going to the semi finals!" Dawn announced, jumping around carelessly which Rin felt was on purpose as her body moved in horrific ways that not even an exotic dancer would do.

"Who the hell let the whore out of her cage?"

Everyone turned their attention to the two women who were now up and looking at the girl on stage with obvious distaste.

"Hello Blaize. How are you feeling?" Makoto said happily.

She snorted, "Just fucking peachy. I feel like I got hit by a truck. At least I don't look like I did," she said as she took in Kuwabara's appearance.

Rin smiled as the demon said exactly what she had earlier thought.

"How are you feeling beautiful? I didn't knock you around too much did I?"

"Oh god," Blaize mumbled as she glanced at her friend next to her.

Bryce just winked before turning back to Makoto.

"I'm afraid you didn't knock me around enough. I'm not even sore," she said coolly.

Rin was confused by the chuckles and blushes that were passed around the group. She didn't get it.

"I don't understand," Rin mumbled softly as Hiei helped her stand up.

"Hn, don't worry about it," was all he said as she frowned at him.

He didn't meet her eye as he smirked secretly to himself. She was so confused that it was making her head hurt.

"Come on Bryce. We have a few things to attend to," Blaize said calmly as they stood up.

Makoto pouted as a whine left his mouth.

"Oh stop you damn sex machine! You two can have yawl's fun some other damn time!" Blaize yelled, obviously angered by Makoto's antics.

"Shut up Blaize. You're just jealous that I won't mate with you."

Rin's face became as red as Blaize's hair, embarrassed by the topic taking place right in front of everyone. Wasn't this something people talk about in private?

"Of fuck you, you ass wipe! When I was a little girl I didn't want you, as a young adult I didn't want you, as an adult I still don't want you!"

These two obviously had known each other for a long time.

Rin frowned again she examined Blaize more closely. She had a heart shaped face and a button nose. Her body was a lot like Bryce's but Blaize had more muscle on her, obviously a little more boyish than Bryce.

She had the same feeling that she had when she came across the pond. She felt like she should know this woman and as Blaize turned towards her smiling a small friendly smile before following Bryce out of the stadium, Rin knew that something was just off. Both Blaize and Raiden knew Makoto and those happen to be the ones that Rin feels like she should know as well.

She sighed as she pushed her thoughts back in her mind for later. Right now it didn't matter. It would all reveal it's self to her if it was destined to, but for now she was going to worry about her aching body and the fire demon that allowed her to lean against him.

"I bet you Hiei's girlfriend would have a giant head and look like a sea monster and would be covered in creepy eyes that bleed puss and boogers."

"Gah!" Rin yelled as she raised her fist and connected it with his head.

He fell over, obviously seeing stars and candy canes.

"Mama," he mumbled as he stared up into space, drool oozing from his gaping mouth.

Everyone turned their attention to Rin who was redder than Kurama's red hair since he was now back in his human form.

Jesse snickered as she laid her head on Kurama's shoulder, her eyes full of realization as they looked at the flustered Rin.

Her eyes went wide as she turned to look at Hiei. He obviously enjoyed her abuse to Kuwabara and his eyes applauded her making her blush more. She desperately prayed for the ground to open up and swallow her.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

He had watched the fight, disgusted by the antics that Amos tried. It was not original but it was clever. It had almost worked and if he would have had one more thing up his sleeve it surly would have.

He left the tournament, desperate for some peace from the blood crazed demons that made him want to take a bath in fire - not like it would hurt him. He slowly walked through the forest, enjoying the warmth of the Sun on his cold skin. He had found himself back at the pond that had somehow become his thinking spot.

He was not expecting to see Rin here this morning but he was happy he did. It allowed him to give her back what was hers.

He closed his eyes and created a cool breeze, for he enjoyed the heat of the Sun for only a short amount of time before he needed to cool off.

"I can't believe she is back. It's been so long."

Raiden opened his eyes but did not turn around. He was very familiar with that soft alto voice.

"You know Raiden, for being tainted by the human world she is still the same Katsumi that I grew up with. Clever to the point of annoying."

Raiden frowned and turned around almost violently. His eyes were narrowed and dangerous but they did not scare and intimidate the reason for the glare.

"She is not Katsumi Blaize. She is Rin. Her past self was Katsumi."

Blaize's red eyes softened -sadden by the heart broken demon in front of her. If she weren't there through everything she would be surprised by the amount of emotions coming off from the seemingly cold demon and then she would call him weak and pathetic. She knew that he was anything but.

"Her name has changed Raiden but she it still our Katsumi. She may not remember but she is still that little feisty demon that was my best friend. Always thinking about things most don't and never missing distinct details while she may miss the most obvious one."

Raiden had lost his anger at the demons words but his thoughts didn't change.

"She is no longer mine," was all he said and all he needed to say.

Blaize sighed as she walked slowly next to the taller demon. She crossed her arms as she looked up into the canopy of the trees, her eyes soft and her face thoughtful.

"That fire demon seems to be her protector now," she said softly before pausing, trying to find the right words instead of her brash way of saying things.

"Shit, you know I suck at this kind of thing Raiden," she said as she sighed again, " Katsumi was my other half. We grew up together and stayed beside one another up until her death. Her not remembering me hurts but it's for the best. Would you want her to remember what Amos did to her? Would you want her to fall in love with that fire demon only to suddenly remember you and her feelings for you? Would you want her to remember…?"

Raiden closed his eyes as pain struck his chest with a violence that left him gasping. No he didn't want her to remember all of the horrible things that took place. She would forever be damaged by it and she was so fragile due to the humanity in her now.

He pictured her in his mind smiling as tears fell down her face, her hand on her slightly swell stomach and happy for the child that was growing inside of her. For the child that Amos would soon murder before it could even be born. No he didn't want her to remember. He didn't even want to remember.

He dropped to his knees as and bowed his head in defeat. The memory was so horrible and haunting behind his eyelids. He had once been dirt under even the lowest of demons nasty feet. He had overcome his "destiny" and had become something better, but without her…

"Look at me Raiden," Blaize demanded, and he did for he was desperate to get away from the scene that he had been forced to watch and continued to replay itself repeatedly in his mind years later.

"You can't stay stuck in the past forever Raiden. You need to break free and let yourself feel again. You hold so much inside, let it out and move on," she said gently before pulling him into a tight hug.

He remained frozen and stiff as he silently enjoyed the feel of not being alone in his pain. He can never seem to out run the hurt and constant ache that he had buried deep down since his whole world collapse around him and he was forced to watch it scream repeatedly as a knife took away his future.


	17. Chapter 16

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 16: What is it you want?**

Two days they had to themselves due to Amos accelerating their matches in attempts to kill them. They spent that first day relaxing, Rin sleeping most of it away.

Kuwabara was staying on the couch, giving Kurama and Jesse time to talk and to be with one another in solitude. Makoto had plenty of perverted things to say about that but luckily the walls were thick enough that Rin could block out anything she didn't want to hear.

Hiei was fine that very same morning, his burn healed due to his fire demon heritage. He disappeared like he always did, not saying a single word to anyone. Rin had a feeling he was feeling claustrophobic due to all of the people in one hotel room.

Bryce and Blaize visited frequently and Rin took a break from her sleeping to talk to them. Bryce was quieter, an observer but Jesse was right when she said she was nice. Blaize and Rin hit it off like they knew each other their whole lives. Rin flinching a few times by how loud Blaize got in her often fights with Makoto.

After Kuwabara voiced his curiosity about how Hiei had gotten burned by his own element, Blaize explained that she was just like Makoto and Rin. A rare magical ancient breed of demon that's element happened to be fire and she happened to be a friend of Makoto's family.

She explained that it was the magic in her fire that hurt Hiei, but if he were not of the same element he would have been screaming painfully as he burned to death. Rin found that to be extremely intriguing and faintly wondered if her water had magic in it though she was still confused about the whole thing.

They were rare ancient demon whose soul determined what kind of demon they would be -Rin being water, Blaize being fire and Makoto being even rarer for he was built for war and hand to hand combat. On top of that they had magic in them that gave them the upper hand over demons, including ones of their own elements. So the magic enhanced their...powers? Did that make them witches or something?

Rin quickly pushed those thoughts into the far corner of her mind, only giving herself a headache from thinking too hard. After that she needed a nap.

By the second day Rin felt good as new. Her muscles were a little stiff and that was the reason why she declined going to dinner with everyone. Her energy was back but it hurt her to move too much and she didn't feel like being around a bunch of people. She needed some time to herself, always being the kind of person who enjoyed being alone.

"It's quiet," she whispered to herself as she laid down on her back, her bed like cotton under her.

The smell of fire smoke had her leaning up on one elbow but she didn't sense the fire demon.

"Onna, what is it you that you want from me?"

Rin jumped when she turned around to look at the window that was placed in-between her and Makoto's beds.

"Hiei," she said breathlessly, her hand on her racing heart for he frightened her with his random appearance.

His crimson orbs seemed to darken over for a moment as he looked at her messy hair and wrinkled white tee-shirt. Her legs were bare and glowing due to the gentle light coming from the window -the only light that was in the room.

She may have only said his name because she was frightened, but her saying his name in response to his question made him want to pin her down and have his way. He couldn't do that. No matter how much he wanted to.

It angered him that he couldn't just use her like he wanted to -like he was going to. She had buried herself deep down inside of his subconscious like a tick -her eyes plaguing his thoughts and not allowing him to use someone else. It was disgusting and bothered him greatly.

"What do you mean?" she questioned, sitting up more and not realizing she was making her breast more viewable.

Hiei held back a growl when he realized she had nothing on except for that tee-shirt and under garments. Not even one of those human contraptions that they call a bra.

This time when he met her eye he had a fire burning in them that made her shiver as he said, "What is it you want from me Rin," her name coming off of his tongue for the first time since they met.

He stepped away from the window, walking slowly towards her. She wasn't sure what she was doing as she completely sat up and flung herself at him in one elegant motion.

He caught her gently in his arms as her lips met his hungrily. She clung to him almost desperately, her body on fire from being so close to him.

Hiei growled when she nipped his bottom lip and this time it was her who thrust her tongue in his mouth. Hiei clutched her body tighter to him, his pants growing more restricting.

Gaining some self control, he broke their kiss and took a deep breath in, Rin doing the same.

"I want to know who you are," she said so softly that he almost didn't hear her.

Almost.

He closed his eyes as she laid her head under his chin. He didn't know what to say to that. He didn't know if she should know about him and the monster that he was. Half of him hoped that it would scare her and the other half didn't want to tell her so it wouldn't.

He suddenly growled and pushed her away from him. She fell back onto her bed, landing on her elbows.

"You want to know me? A ruthless killer that the world fears and hates?" he growled darkly as he stared at the wall in-front of him, not able to look at Rin at the moment.

She stayed silent, staring at him with her mask in place, not daring to show him the sadness and displeasure that would currently be on her features. She didn't want to know who people thought he was, but who he truly is. Still, she patiently listened, watching the anger practically ooze out of him.

"My wench of a mother went and whored around with a male demon, making me. Koorime's have a girl every 100 years and when a boy showed up; well they did not like that very much. They had to get rid of the monster of a child by throwing him off of an island floating high up in the sky. Unfortunately for them I lived."

Rin almost flinched when Hiei turned his crimson orbs towards her but not because she feared him. It was because of the anger and dried up hated that planted themselves in his heated gaze that could freeze even an uncontrollable fire. However that hatred did not seem to be towards how he was created but more towards something else.

"I was raised by bandits and even they grew to fear me, a blood thirsty child who enjoyed blood on his hands and watching their life leave their eyes. Hate for those wenches who tried to rid of me is what fueled me to get the Jagon planted into my forehead. The deal was to never tell my twin sister who I am. Not like I want to."

Rin's mask faltered for a moment but she still kept quiet. She didn't need him to confirm that his sister is Yukina. Rin wondered quite a few times and the snide comments Yukina made every now and again only fueled her suspicious.

"When I got there to have my revenge, I found the very same wench who threw me off of the island. She was my mother's best friend. She told me that my mother's committed suicide, too weak to take care of my sister. Pathetic. I hate to think that I came from that woman. I left them untouched though, they were already dead, just zombies to scared and bitter to truly live."

He became silent, staring blankly now at the wall behind him. Rin knew that Hiei had a tough life and that he was leaving things out. She didn't care though. That was enough for now.

Rin stood up slowly and stood back in front of Hiei. She lightly touched his tanned cheek and turned his face in her direction.

"What is it that you want Hiei?" she said softly, her sweet voice only a mere whisper.

His expression was unreadable as he turned his eyes to her face. His lips crashed down on hers, their kiss saying everything that neither of them would.

She could feel his loneliness, his pain, his undirected hatred. She wanted to sooth his pain and make it all go away, but she had no idea how to do that. She wasn't even sure if he would let her if she could.

He pushed her back on her bed again, but this time following down after her. He lifted her up by her bottom and turned her the right way on the bed.

She squealed against his lips and opened her wide eyes at the fact that he just touched her butt when she was wearing only her underwear. That made her blush.

His eyes opened as he...smiled?

Rin's heart could have exploded by the sight of the fire demon on top of her actually smiling a small genuine smile. It was so beautiful as his eyes looked at her with a hint of softness and amusement. She preferred this much more than the look he had only a few minutes ago.

She pulled his head back down and met his lips once more, but this time she put as much passion in it as she could. A lick to her lips was all she needed for her to open her mouth and allow him explore it as he pleased.

She was shaking by the pure intensity of it all, so much passion being passed in-between them that she was about to explode. His expertise tongue was teaching and leading hers as they danced together. She felt high.

He slid his calloused hands down her arm, lacing his fingers gently with her small delicate ones. He released her hand as he slid his over her side, making Rin jump as he lightly tickled her, a giggle coming out muffled due to their connected mouths.

He chuckled, amused by her actions as he broke their kiss and lightly kissed her jaw, trailing down her neck with little butterfly kisses and nicks of his teeth. She closed her eyes as she fingered his cotton hair, a soft sigh of ecstasy escaping her mouth.

He gently pulled up her shirt, her bare stomach and underwear now completely visible. He distracted her from her embarrassment by skimming his finger tips across her flat stomach, making a gasp escape her mouth by the contact and the place Hiei was kissing on her neck.

A sweet heat flowed through her body as her breathing picked up. His hand was unnoticeable lifting up her shirt, and with one fluid motion her chest was bare. She was soon distracted once more as his calloused hand massaged her breast, his thumb brushing against the hardening center gently.

A soft moan left her parted lips as he lowered his mouth to her breast, flicking his heated tongue against the erect center. She was in a complete daze as his other hand skimmed up and down her thigh, brushing against the side of her private part ever so tenderly.

Her breath hitched as he suddenly cupped her, his hand rubbing softly through the thin material. She moaned, arching her back as heat flowed throughout her whole body -only ever being touched like this once and even then it was different than this. This time it was gentler and less...aggressive -Needier and less demanding.

He kissed both of her breast once more before slowly leaving tails of kisses down her abdomen -her eyes going wide and becoming panicky as he got closer to her private part, slowly pulling her underwear down.

"Hiei!" she called desperately, not knowing what he was doing but knowing that she was not ready quite yet to loose her virginity.

He met her eyes, the look in his crimson orbs quickly soothing her fear.

"Relax Onna. I know you're not ready. Trust me."

Rin felt tears fill up in her eyes and nodded, for at that moment she would do anything that he told her to.

His eyes so soft and venerable -his caresses so gentle despite his rough hands and belligerent nature -his voice soothing and understanding when she knew that this must be hard for him to do while keeping his control in check.

She held her breath as he slowly pulled her underwear down, her body completely exposed to his gaze. Her cheeks were red as he looked her up and down but he said nothing and he didn't need to because the light smirk on his face said his thoughts clearly.

She suddenly cried out as his mouth cupped her. She had no idea what he was doing with his tongue but god did it feel good! His eyes stared into her own wide surprised ones, his intense gaze only making her feel only more heated.

She felt herself floating higher and higher as his hot mouth did things to her in her most private part -making her feel things that she never knew you could. She nearly fainted when he entered a finger inside of her, hitting a spot that had her screaming and withering in pleasure.

She was not sure what was going on. All she could feel was something building inside of her and she wanted to reach it. She felt a blinding white pleasure take a hold of her as she exploded, arching her back as high as he would allow.

He didn't stop though and soon she felt something building inside of her again but this time it felt so good that a scream left her as her hands gripped the bed sheets -desperate to keep herself from floating off.

One again he didn't stop and she was sure she was going to pass out. She was panting, withering and bucking against his penetrations as she exploded again. It was even stronger than the last time.

He finally stopped, allowing her to catch her breath as her body continued to shake from the foreign actions. She opened her tired, glossy eyes when she felt a heated body on top of her bare one.

He said nothing as he gazed deeply into her eyes, his large hand brushing her sweaty cheek lightly.

She slid her small hand over his bare chest, not even noticing that at some point he had taken off his shirt. He stiffened as her hand slid lower and grabbed her hand quickly, stopping her from going any further.

She frowned, "I want to pleasure you Hiei."

That made him freeze, his eyes widening slightly by her words and the passion dripping off of them.

She looked sure even though he knew that she had no idea what to do and had most likely never seen a penis before. He wasn't sure if he could control himself but the sound of her doing what he had just done to her was appealing -Too appealing to pass up.

His hand left hers for only a moment as he unbuckled his belts and pulled his pants down -tossing them aside before leaning away from her, their private parts too close for his self control.

She followed after him, sitting on her knees across from him as she waited for her cue. He watched as her eyes left his and trailed down.

"Oh!" she gasped as her hand covered her open mouth, her eyes wide in disbelief and shock.

"That's bigger than they said it was supposed to be," she said breathlessly.

"Hn. I'm a demon," was all he said -amused by her predictable reaction.

He grabbed her hand that was covering her mouth and guided it down, his eyes watching her reaction as a faint smile played on his sharp features. He enjoyed the light blush on her face and the slight shaking of her hand in his.

She gasped as he made her skim her fingers against the head, the soft skin surprising her.

Hiei held his primal side back as he allowed her to explore him and become familiar with his sex, hoping it would help her relax and be more comfortable.

She finally stopped looking like a fish out of water as she continued to run her fingers over him. He then showed her how to hold it as he placed his warm hand on top of hers.

He slowly moved her hand up and down, making her stroke it in a long gentle motion. Her eyes lifted to his, her mouth slightly parted as the bright blue in her eyes sparkled and glowed.

He started to move her hand faster, a low growl building in his throat as he through his head back -the warmth of HER hand touching him putting him over the edge. His breathing quickened as she took it upon herself to make her stokes even faster, noticing that he preferred it.

He was lost in the feeling, as simple as it was. It wasn't like no other woman had done this to him. Normally he wouldn't bother himself with stupid antics such as this but HER touching him the way she was drove him crazy.

He jumped when he felt something wet and hot on his manhood, his eyes snapping open as he looked down.

He nearly lost himself completely as her eyes met his through her black bangs, curious to see if what she was doing was right. It was more than right as she swirled her tongue around his sex, her stokes still steady and leaving him shaking as he fought to keep himself under control.

He growled as his eyes clenched shut -his release building up faster than what he thought was possible. He grabbed her by the hair and gently pulled her mouth away from him as his other hand stopped the results of his release from messing up her bed.

The hand in her hair loosening as he caught his breath, reigning himself in so he wouldn't attack her and make her do something she wasn't ready for. He opened his eyes half way as he looked over at her but she was staring wide eyed at the mess on his hand.

"Hn, something similar happens to you," he said softly, his voice husky and dripping with his arousal.

She turned her shocked eyes to his, "Why didn't you stop and pull away then."

Rin felt herself heat up once more as he gave her the sexiest smile she had ever seen. It was wicked, dark and promised to show her more than he had already.

"You tasted delicious. I pulled you away because I knew it would shock you. I didn't want you to choke."

Rin had never blushed so hard in her life, as his clouded eyes skimmed over her naked body. She suddenly felt self-conscious and extremely award.

"Um, perhaps we should get dressed," she whispered -not trusting her voice to be any louder.

He smirked as his eyes flashed dangerously, "That would be wise."

She cleared her throat nervously as she looked around her room, searching for her shirt that seemed to of magically disappeared.

"Hn, looking for this?"

Rin turned her attention back to Hiei, her white tee-shirt in his clean hand.

"Yes," she said quietly as she reached to grab it.

He let her take it, feeling that he had already made her uncomfortable enough. He watched as she raised her arms, her shirt sliding down her silky skin.

"Hiei?" she questioned when she realized he was staring at her.

"I'll be back," he grumbled as he disappeared out of her room through the door.

He was soon back after only about 30 seconds but that gave her enough time to find her underwear and slip it back on. She noticed when he walked back into the room that his hand was now clean and that he was also prancing around naked.

She cleared her throat nervously once more as she fought the blush on her face. He just smirked as he walked over to his pants and put them on, leaving his shirt wherever it was that it landed when he carelessly threw it.

He started to walk towards the window, not sure on what to do now. He was never one to stay long after being intimate in any way. Even though Rin was not one of those females he would decapitate without a second thought, he still wasn't sure of what to do.

A soft grip on his hand had him freezing in his steps as he turned to face the little water hanyou. She told him exactly what he should do and it was something he was very unfamiliar with.

"Stay with me," she said softly -her eyes gentle and pleading.

His body was moving before his brain could even figure out her words. He laid down next to her in her bed, her smell clouding his nose as his scent engulfed her own. He found that he liked the combination.

She nuzzled herself into his side -making him stiffen up slightly but he soon draped an arm over her waist and closed his eyes, finding that he was suddenly tired.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

The moment Makoto walked through the door he knew what had taken place.

"Great, Rin gets some action and all I get is a wink and a kiss on the cheek," he grumbled to himself as he put the food he brought Rin in the fridge for whenever she wanted it.

"Come on Jesse -you go to Spirit World tomorrow so you can be safe while we finish up with the tournament. You need to be rested. Boton is a hand full," Kurama said gently even though the two other demons had smelt the arousal in the air.

Jesse just smiled as she followed her mate -bidding everyone a good night.

"I'm sleeping in Hiei's room tonight. You might as well to Kuwabara. He's not going to be in there any time soon," Makoto said grumpily.

He was still fuming over Bryce playing hard to get on him. Oh well. He had never cared much for what was easy and it just made him that much more determined to make her his. He had been alone for far too long.

"Yeah, okay," Kuwabara replied, rubbing his eyes and completely oblivious to what the demons could easily smell.

"So not fair," Makoto whined, making Kuwabara look at him in confusion.

"I'm horny and hate to be teased," Makoto said casually.

Kuwabara took a few steps away from the demon, his eyes wide and his sleepiness forgotten.

"You sleep in Hiei's room. I think I'm going to sleep on the couch again. It's comfortable and there's a TV out here," Kuwabara mumbled -completely weirded out.

"Your loss," Makoto sighed -unaware with how his blunt words made the straight man in the room with him very uncomfortable simply for the fact that demons don't care about gender and Kuwabara does.

It didn't help that Makoto was a little off of his rocker. Who was to say the he wouldn't get raped in his sleep?

Kuwabara took a few more steps away.


	18. Chapter 17

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 17: Haunting Past**

She was surrounded by a sea of warmth and her body was so relaxed that she felt like she was lying on a cloud. She sighed in contentment as she pulled her blanket tighter to her, soaking in the heat and smell of smoke. Who knew that fire smoke could smell so devilishly delicious?

Very slowly the night before replayed itself in her head as she became more aware. The memories quickly pulled her out of her dreamland and it didn't take long for her squeal into her pillow like a teenage girl. Surprisingly she was not embarrassed by it, but happy that whatever she and Hiei were it wasn't enemies or two people who rubbed the each other the wrong way. They did the quite opposite actually...

That had her blushing as she opened her eyes, knowing already that Hiei was gone. It didn't bother her and it didn't bother her that they were going to act like nothing happened. She understood how Hiei was and she was not into PDA or people being into her business. Not to mention she was not too great with affection.

With a sigh Rin got out of the bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She brushed her long hair, leaving the wavy locks down as she went to her cloths and grabbed a clean pair of black fighting pants. As she was about to grab a shirt she spotted something blue out of the corner of her eye. She went to the end of her bed and saw a crumbled light blue shirt that did not belong to her.

She smiled as she picked up the fabric and examined what use to be a t-shirt but the sleeves and the collar were cut off.

"That's where his shirt went," she mumbled to herself as she threw her cloths and the shirt on her bed.

She quickly stripped off of her cloths and put on a fresh pair plus Hiei's shirt. She just couldn't help it. She glanced in the mirror and smiled, liking the way it fit her. She was always more on the conservative side when she dressed but the dark blue sports bra she had on pushed her breast up slightly and the low cut shirt showed them a bit.

It was baggy on her -her body not being as massive as his but it fit her well enough to feel confident in it. Not to mention that it smelt of him almost as strongly as if he were in the room.

She strapped her two swords to her belt and then put on her socks and boots that were getting very worn. She's had those boots since junior high.

"That sucks," she mumbled as she stood up from her bed and walked out of the bed room.

She was not expecting to see Boton, Koenma, and everyone else all in the room. She blushed as they all turned to look in her direction, including crimson eyes.

She gave him a brief glance, noticing the smirk on his beautiful lips. Great. She didn't think about the fact that EVERYONE knew what Hiei's shirts looked like and smelt like in some cases. Wonderful.

"Hello Rin. I'm glad to see that you're doing well with your demon energy," Koenma said kindly -his honey colored eyes sparkling in amusement.

"You look so much cooler with black hair. Oh and look at those tattoos! You little badass," Boton yelled excitedly -naïve to what everyone else was staring at her for.

"Uh, yeah," she mumbled before putting on her mask and pushing her embarrassment down.

"What is going on so early in the morning?" she questioned calmly but she was mentally blushing like a schoolgirl.

"I am going to Spirit World until Amos is caught," Jesse replied -smiling gently and knowing how embarrassed the young demon must be. She used to be the same way in her older days.

"Why are you wearing Hiei's shirt?" Kuwabara asked -honestly confused.

"It's actually the afternoon Rin. You slept for a good while," Kurama piped in.

Rin shot him a thank you smile that he returned with his own soft smile.

"Oh," she said as she walked into the kitchen, starving, thirsty, and blushing bright red at being put on the spot.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

Hiei had woken up only a half hour before Rin. He hadn't slept that peacefully in such a long time. He had stared down at her sleeping figure, mesmerized by how sweet and innocent she looked. She had no idea what she was getting herself into by getting close to him. She was indeed sweet and innocent and he was anything but.

He wasn't going to fight her on it. He couldn't just get up and walk away from her because her eyes would follow him everywhere he went. She would soon regret that spell she put on him at some point, but for now he was just going to let her do whatever she wanted. Maybe at some point she would stop haunting him and he will be able to walk away from her before he does any truly damage.

"Such a stupid Onna," he muttered softly as he got out of the bed and snuck out of the room -only Kurama being up and about.

Then that stupid baby ruler showed up with the annoying blue headed wench, which woke the baka and Makoto. Then she woke up and he enjoyed the embarrassment on her face from being caught by so many people for wearing his shirt.

He liked it on her. The blue matched her crazy colored eyes and showed parts on her body that she hid most of the time. Also the fact that she was wearing HIS shirt and was covered in HIS scent brought out his demonic possessive side.

He was not going to deny that he was attracted to her. She was quiet, minded her own business, intelligent and not bad to look at. Of course if anyone asked him he would never admit that but he can think whatever he wants.

She was also too much like the humans that he hates. She cries and just feels too damn deeply. Still he was attracted to her even when she was being pathetic. He was protective over her while she was a human -always watching her but never getting caught or giving anything away -At least to her.

He was unhappy when she left while he was in demon world and he came back thinking something bad happened. He couldn't find her with his Jagon so he went on a search rampage only to see her and the fox walking happily along like she wasn't being stalked by a murderer. With her looking so carefree and the people surrounding them thinking they were a cute couple made the fire demon...unsettled.

He was unsure about that particular feeling. He had never felt it before but he didn't like it even though it was almost like anger. She blinded him from his senses and made him do things that he would never do and she didn't even know what she was doing. What does that mean?

He would never in 10 million years keep a constant eye on a woman and because he wanted to. He would never jump in-front of someone and protect them from another demon when they were too weak to do it themselves. He would never "fool around" and waste his time when he could just go all of the way and be done with it. Yet, with her he did and liked it. What does that mean?

What did it mean that he was watching Rin braid her hair while talking happily with Boton? Her hair sliding in and out of her small figures delicately as she smiled and laughed at something the blue headed wench said.

What did it mean that her smile made him feel lighter and her laugh made his stomach feel weird? The death of him, that's what it meant and he wasn't sure if she was worth being his downfall.

She looked behind Boton and met his eye, her eyes lighting up and her smile a little sweeter before turning her attention back to Boton.

The fire demon blinked and took a breath in.

What was he thinking about?

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~

"Makoto! I'm perfectly fine! I can fight," Rin argued, her face getting red in anger.

Makoto didn't budge, "No Rin. These guys made it to the finals for a reason. You're still new to this. You're not going in alone and that's how they want to fight. I'm sorry."

Rin stared at the ancient demon in disbelief. This was just as much of her fight as it was his. She was dragged into this and her family suffered for it. She wanted to claw her way to Amos and rip his throat out but how could she when Makoto was playing protective big brother?

"Just let us handle them for now Rin," Kurama said gently -obviously agreeing with Makoto.

"Yeah," agreed Kuwabara.

Rin turned to her side to look at Hiei but he just gave her a brief glance. She sighed in defeat.

"Whatever," she mumbled as she walked away from them and sat in the grass Indian style.

"Okay, will a member from Team Urameshi and Team Gates please come up and get this thing going!"

Rin narrowed her eyes at the announcer who was now in dark purple lingerie that didn't cover anymore than her private parts and sides. She hated to judge but that was hardly appropriate attire for being apart of something where there is fighting. Now what she does in her casual life is her business, but Rin hated that she had no choice but to look at the girl bounce around and giggle like she didn't realize her parts were barely restrained.

"I get to go first," Kuwabara said gruffly but before he could even take a step forward Hiei was already on the stage.

"What are you doing shrimp? I just claimed this fight!" Kuwabara yelled angrily -veins on his head showing from his irritation.

"Hn, we want to win, not loose. How about you let me, Kurama and Makoto handle the semi finals," Hiei said sarcastically -a smirk evident on his face even though his back was to them.

Kurama sighed as Makoto snorted in amusement. Rin just smiled as she stared at his muscular back, finding amusement in the very thing that she used to get annoyed about. It was only some months ago when she viewed him as a jerk. Now she viewed him as...well he was still a jerk but not so much to her.

She frowned. Was exactly was he to her? Were they just fooling around buddies? No, she knew that they felt something for one another. With a sigh she let loose her braid and ran a hand through it, something she always did when she was in deep thought about something that frustrated her.

"It's Hiei VS Lilith. Begin!"

Rin looked up from her lap and examined the opponent, her mask getting in place fast.

It should have been the fact that his opponent was the most powerful besides the Team Leader and it sent fear tingling down Rin's spine. Fear, discomfort...jealousy. Why was Rin jealous over the woman on the stage?

Could it have been her short black choppy hair and bright silver bed room eyes? Could it have been the way those eyes were staring at Hiei with such interest and familiarity? Could it have been her curvy luscious body that Rin did not have and the leather that clung to it in a sexy but elegant way?

No, none of that mattered to Rin. Yes, she was gorgeous, powerful and easily one of the most attractive woman that Rin had ever seen. No, it wasn't that she far surpassed Rin in beauty, power and elegance. It was the fact that Hiei was smirking at her with the same familiarity in his amused crimson orbs.

Rin didn't need to be told that they were acquainted with one another and by the way the demoness moved and looked at Hiei it wasn't a casual meeting when they met. She didn't need to be told that this demon, easily a high A class demon, almost S, was what Hiei preferred. She was like a Black Panther, wild, majestic, dangerous, vicious, and ruthless. She didn't need his protection and could be a worthy challenge to him. A challenge that Rin could never be for Makoto had said it himself that she would never pass a high B class demon. The reason to her was unknown.

Rin felt sick as they circled each other, smirking and teasing with words that they whispered in privacy. An angry ringing was in her ears, a soft voice whispering that she was not good enough for him. That she would never be good enough for him. That it would be best for her to disappear, be gone forever.

Such angry, loud buzzing -Such soft tempting words.

She closed her eyes. She couldn't take seeing them together. Fighting one another and her being able to stand up to him and in way Rin could not. She couldn't take it.

She held her head in her hands, a searing pain so hot and angry that it threatened to pierce her skull. Her breathing quickened as she shook her head rapidly. No, no. These thoughts were not her own. Something was wrong.

It seemed as if her eyes opened but it felt off beam. She was not at the tournament anymore, instead she was in a stone like hallway that was cold and dim in light.

How did she get to such a depressing place, so abandoned and gothic in its structure?

"Surprised by your own mind? Such darkness lies within your heart dear, yet you burry it deep down -Such hatred, such anger, such disgust for yourself."

Rin froze when she heard a deep male voice. It was so smooth, even, relaxed, and confident. It seemed familiar to her but she could not place it. All she knew was that voice, for whatever reason, she hated it.

The voice chuckled; her thoughts resonating throughout her mind like it would if she were talking out loud in a stone hallway.

"I have called you here to tell you that you best be prepared for tomorrow my lovely little Rin. There can only be one winner, not a whole team. The whole day will be one big fight, no breaks or stops. You fight until you die, or win. Good luck. You have grown considerably weaker in your knew life. I am looking forward to see how you hold up."

Laughter filled her head after that -Such manic, joyful laughter that sounded like gunfire to her.

Rin screamed, or at least what seemed like a scream, as darkness swallowed her whole being. Or was it mental being?

She was moving, or it was the illusion of moving, as she was suddenly thrown through a random doorway -A doorway that had her childhood past swirling around inside. That was the last place she wanted to go.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~

"Makoto!" Kuwabara shouted, -his figure crouching over Rin's shaking form.

The fellow red head was soon by Rin's side along with the third red head. They all stared down at her pale sweating figure.

"No," she whispered - the sound coming out choked like she was in pain.

"We need Hiei. Amos snuck his way into her mind and for whatever reason she is not fighting it. My guess is he has her reliving something painful," Makoto said softly, fear for the first time evident in his yellow eyes.

"What, is he somehow hurting her in her mind and she doesn't know that it's not real?"

Makoto was silent as he half listened to Kuwabara's question. For a moment he thought that Makoto did not hear him.

"He has her reliving her past...and if she gets too lost in her memories she will...get lost and never come out of it."

Kurama narrowed his eyes at the demon in front of him. He was not naïve. He knew that there were things about Rin and Makoto that had not been shared. Kurama knew that not even Rin had any idea what this ancient demon was keeping to himself.

For starters, how did Makoto find Rin and merge himself inside of her? Why would he choose HER and why did Rin accept him so easily as a baby and as an adult? It was like they grew up together and that trust was already there. Like brother and sister.

Makoto is no longer residing inside of Rin yet Amos is going after her just as strong as he is Makoto. Wasn't his objective to get Makoto OUT at the cost of killing Rin? Why is she so important to him? In the video that he sent to Koenma he said something about torturing Rin in front of Makoto; that history repeats itself. That could only mean that Amos has had his paws on Rin before.

Not to mention Rin becoming a demon. Makoto said that he had awakened her demon side but why was it sleeping? How did Makoto know that it was there? Why is she an ancient demon just like Makoto? Kurama did not care what the old demon claimed. He was old in his age as well and he knew that Makoto did nothing more than awaken it.

Her being an ancient magical demon is something that has nothing to do with that. She was an ancient all along which brings up another question to the foxes calculating mind. The thing about these kind of demons, everyone in their family all have similar markings, distinct but all in the same place.

Makoto's right side has tribal tattoos that are angry and pointed. Vicious and edgy like the demon himself. Rin also has tattoos covering her right side but hers flow more like water and are gentle but actually a shade or two darker than Makoto's.

Makoto and Rin have to somehow be related or else she would not be that kind of demon and have that tattoo resemblance.

**"What are you saying fox?"**

Kurama glanced at the ring where Hiei was fighting and saw that he was still fighting normal, not even casting them a glance but tuned in to their conversation and his thoughts.

**"Makoto and Rin share the same blood. That would explain her demon heritage and their tattoos that resemble each others. Not to mention how Makoto managed to be accepted into Rin. I don't know why...but I don't think that Rin is really Rin at all."**

**"Fox,"** Hiei mentally growled, impatient for the fox to simply say what he was thinking when Kurama paused in attempts to find the correct words.

**"Rin has no idea about any of this. I don't think Makoto wants her to know who she really is. Amos snuck his way into her head and is making her go through her past right now as we speak. Makoto is panicked. He doesn't want her to go in too deep."**

Hiei broke their link -anger flowing through him though it didn't show on his face. This woman was a good competitor but he was suddenly bored with her. With a flick of his wrist her movement stopped.

The fire demon turned away from her as she fell into squares, her body completely mutilated by just one simple movement, at least that's what everyone else saw.

He gave no second thought to the woman who was nothing more than a mere tool to him. His thoughts and concerns were else where as he noticed Rin's shaking body that was surrounded by his team mates.

He hopped off of the arena, his mind turning over everything that the fox told him. Yes, everything he said made sense and If that was the case than who was Rin really?

"I will handle it," his voice was calm and cool though inside he was conflicted.

There was a reason why he did not trust Makoto. He had no doubt that the demon had no intentions of screwing any of them over, at least at the moment, but the demon left out very important information -Information concerning Rin.

"Ill go," Kurama said smoothly.

Hiei took his spot across from Makoto. He said nothing as he closed his eyes, his Jagon opening and staring emptily down at Rin.

He entered her mind just as easily as he use to be able to but he was not expecting to see what he saw.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

She opened her eyes and felt confusion -confusion that soon turned into fear as she continued to look around the child's room.

The walls were light green and children toys were scattered around the small room. A twin sized bed was decorated in different shades of blue and laying under the blanket was a small lump sleeping soundly even though yelling was coming from somewhere in the house.

The door bust open quietly as a tall male figure stumbling into the room.

"Rin, wake up. We're leaving for a bit," the male said softly.

"Brother?" the young girl questioned -sitting up as she rubbed her eyes.

Rin had tears in her eyes as she looked at 10 year old her, She had short, wild blond hair that was curling and fizzing all over the place as she looked at her brother with eyes that were too big for her face. Her brother who she hadn't thought about in awhile had short careless black hair and dark amused blue eyes that were at the moment trying to look strong even though they were full of pain. Of course little Rin didn't notice this about her invincible brother.

"What going on?" she questioned -watching her brother as he stumbled about her room, putting some of her cloths in her back pack.

"We're just going away for a little bit. That's all," he replied, but from where Rin was standing unnoticeably in the room she saw the panic, pain, and tears in her brother's eyes.

"Draven," she whispered, reaching for him and longing to hug him like she use to but her hand went right through him.

"Brother, are you bleeding?" little Rin questioned -hopping out of her bed and running over to her brother; worry and confusion in her childish eyes.

"I just had an accident. Don't worry fuzzy head."

Rin couldn't hold her tears back at the nick name her brother called her when he wanted to sooth her and calm her down. It always worked because it always succeeded it making Rin mad.

"Hey!" little Rin shouted -forgetting about the wound and the blood that was soaking up her older brothers brown tee-shirt.

He chuckled, though now Rin could see just how forced it was and the wince that soon followed afterwards.

"Come on. I'm sure Rick won't mind if we stay the night."

"Rick? He always makes fun of my hair," the little girl whined -not liking her brother's friend one bit.

"It's not his fault you're a fuzzy head. Now come on," he said, leading the small girl to the window.

Rin blinked as the image seemed to blur and contort itself until she was standing off in the corner of her parent's living room.

It betrayed the way there family really was. It was decorated in expensive cream colored furniture and the atmosphere was calming and light. There however was not one family picture on the barren walls and that couldn't have been more fitting for their so called family.

"Rin!"

Rin jumped when she heard her mother's angry screeches. She watched eyes wide as a younger her, 14 to be exact, walked into the room.

"Yes mother?" the girl asked -her voice quiet and mousy.

She had just walked though the door; home from the music lessons that her mother surprisingly allowed her to receive. Rin had a feeling she just didn't want her around. That was fine by her.

"Where the hell is that stupid fucking brother of yours?" her mother demanded from the desk that Rin didn't notice before.

Rin had always wondered where she got her hair from. Her mother's hair was black and straight -her eyes dark and hateful. She looked nothing like her mother.

"I have no idea mother," the younger Rin answered back -hugging her bag full of music sheet papers closer towards her.

"Liar! He's looking for a fucking house isn't he? What, you going to go and live with him?" her mother roared in her deep smoker voice' an angry bitter hysteric edge to it that scent fear through both of the Rin's spine.

"I don't know mother," younger Rin whispered -her eyes wide and terrified as the taller woman stood above the little girl, looking her nose down at the child that she gave birth to. Her eyes were cold and hatful.

"I can't believe you came from me. Look at that disgusting hair! I pictured my daughter to be different," her mother mocked but younger Rin did not budge or even have a reaction.

Her mother's eye twitched; not liking the fact that her words weren't getting her the result she wanted. Rin now realized all her mother wanted was a fight. A fight her "ugly" daughter would not give the vain woman.

"Do you disagree? Do you think that you actually look good with hair like that? You're too pale and skinny and your height is not very appealing. You look like you're 7."

Once again the girl did not outwardly respond; burying it down but hanging on to every word that her mother spoke.

The woman roared out in furry as she slapped her child as hard as she could across the face -knocking the little girl to the ground.

Rin blinked her tears away as she watched her mother slap the younger her, the feel of that bruising hit tingling on her face though it had happened so long ago.

"Bitch!" a male voice screeched.

Her brother stormed through the front door -his bag dropping right before he lunged for their mother. Younger Rin just curled into a ball -keeping her eyes closed as she hummed to herself.

The image started to swirl around again but Rin had a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her feeling was correct as the picture became clear to her once more.

She was in a car -her parent's- car and she knew somehow that this was the day that she would witness their death once more. She had relived this moment every night since it happened and finally when the dreams had stopped she had hoped she would never have to see this moment in time again.

She turned to her side and saw her, just as she was only a year ago -long blonde hair and innocent blue eyes that always seemed to be amazed by the world. Despite the light atmosphere Rin knew what was coming. She felt the dread in her chest as she closed her eyes and willed herself to snap out of it. It wouldn't work.

"Look out!" her mother screamed but it was too late.

Something crashed into them from the passenger side, both Rin's screaming as they tumbled around with seat belts being the only protection for those in the car.

"**Onna! Snap out of it!"**

Rin opened her eyes, tears rapidly flowing as she refused to look directly in front of her and see the gruesome image that had taken every ounce of innocents straight out of her. She knew what she would find for that image had been etched into her very being but…she didn't want to see it with her own two eyes. She couldn't bare the pain.

**"It's not real. It's just replaying your past until you stop being weak and snap out of it. If you travel too deep you will get lost."**

It's not real? It feels so real. The fear feels so real. The memory was so fresh deep within her mind. She could even feel the pain that her whole body was in. Her right arm was throbbing, her head was coated in something warm and sticky and she couldn't feel her legs.

**"It's just a memory it's not real," that soothing gruff voice called out to her again.**

She closed her eyes again. It's not real. It's just a memory, she repeated to herself and more she chanted it the more her body numbed and her mind cleared. She opened her eyes slowly and found herself looking into a pair of crimson orbs.

She blinked before launching herself at him, all of her wounds cut open once more and bleeding out everything that she just pushed down into the darkest parts of her soul.

-Her anger, her fear, her hatred, and the disgust that she did indeed have for herself. The only way for her to express it was by shaking violently and clinging to the person who always seems to save her -including from herself.

Her whole life she was told she was ugly, pathetic. She was beaten down multiple times and she just stuffed it down, not even realizing just how much she clung on to their horrible words. Maybe she was weak but sometimes weakness can be your strength when you stop running from it.

"Sleep Onna." she heard his voice say gently in her head as fog seemed to fill up her chaotic mind.

She welcomed it and fell limp in his stiff arms.

~~~W~~~W~~~W~~~

No one spoke as the four men sat in their hotel room. Kuwabara and Makoto were leaning against the couch that had Rin sleeping peacefully on it and Kurama was sitting in the recliner, his green orbs expressionless and narrowed in thought. Separated from the rest was the fire demon who had taken his post on the window seal, watching everyone through the reflection instead of looking at the midnight stars.

They had won their match, only bruises and cuts to show that they had even fought at all. That made them unnerved, that this tournament had been rather easy. Not one of them had lost a match. They had a feeling that their true match had yet to happen.

Hiei cut his opponent down even though he knew the wench. Kurama's match only lasted for about 20 minutes and it didn't take him long to out smart the demon. Makoto simply beat his opponent to a bloody pulp, playing cat and mouse with the demon just for his own entertainment.

Wasn't this tournament supposed to be challenging?

"There are no longer teams," a soft voice whispered.

Everyone turned their attention to the young demoness lying on couch.

"What do you mean?" Kuwabara questioned, a dark dreading feeling rising up in the pit of his stomach.

"Tomorrow, there will be no teams and only one winner. He told me so," her voice seemed almost far away as she spoke, sending chills down the men's spine at how broken and lost she sounded.

"Amos?" Makoto questioned -his yellow eyes dark and narrowed in anger.

"I...don't know."

Makoto seemed to nod as he returned to his own thoughts.

They fell back in silence, each wondering what it was that their next match would bring and if they would all make it out alive -especially Rin who was falling apart and considerably weaker than the rest of them. How were they going to protect her?


	19. Chapter 18

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 18: Final Match: Part One: Delusional World**

_Her eyes opened, confused and lost as she looked around her surroundings. Water was wrapped around her, wet and silky against her bare skin. She was standing in the ocean, the water all she could see besides the black starless sky. As realistic as it felt she knew this was not real. She could even smell the salt and hear the water move._

_The small ocean waves crashed around her, singing its relaxing tune as it kissed her calves while the sand tickled her toes. The wind that always seemed to be in her dreams was playing with her snow white blonde hair, wrapping it gently around her as it always did and making it brush against her pale skin._

_"Wait a minute," her voice echoed -confusion washing over her deeper as she examined her light hair and naked tattoo free body._

_"You and I are one Rin but we are also in a way separate."_

_She looked beside her, sure that a minute ago no one was there but there was someone now. It was her, the black haired her that took over her looks and gave her a hard time in accepting her demon side._

_The woman next to her turned her head to look at Rin, her exotic eyes so cold and unfeeling that it unnerved Rin greatly. Not even Hiei ever looked like that. It was a look that Rin had only seen when Kurama was in his true form but hers was much, much colder._

_It was the kind of look you would have if you had a lot to hide. Guilt, pain, regret, hatred, she was not sure which one if not all of those things the woman had. How were her and this woman the same person? Rin was never this lifeless and this...dark._

_"I looked like you," Rin said softly -intimidated by the woman who looks just like her even now though her hair and eyes are different from the blonde solid colored eyed Rin._

_The woman smiled a small smile but it was just as cold as her eyes. She looked uncomfortable and a little pained. There was nothing behind her smile that said happiness and joy. It only lasted for a second before stone took its place._

_"The only reason you don't look like me now is because we are separated at the moment."_

_"Are you my demon side?" Rin questioned while turning her full attention to the stoic woman._

_"I am who you truly are and who you were born to be," she replied calmly, answering the question without a true answer and even an ounce of emotion._

_"Why am I here?" Rin questioned while crossing her arms, her eyes narrowing in slight annoyance. She hated when people failed to answer her questions._

_"You are capable of great things if you choose to embrace it. You must let go of all attachment, separating yourself from your emotions and those you love."_

_"How do I do that?"_

_Rin was completely frazzled and finding that with every question 10 more popped up when she heard the answer._

_"You know the answers. You just have to embrace who you are and all will fall into place. Your human side cripples you while your friends, it makes them stronger. You are not like them. The human in you only limits your possibilities instead of enhancing you like it does them"_

_"Okay. Thank you for your cryptic answers. They help a lot."_

_The woman chuckled softly, surprising and annoying Rin further._

_"We truly are the same person Rin," she said softly before starting to walk into the ocean, her body being swallowed more and more._

_"Hey! You haven't answered anything!" Rin shouted, desperation dripping off of every confused word._

_"We are one in the same. You already know the answer," the woman said calmly, only her head showing now._

_"Well, at least tell me your name if you have one!" Rin shouted angrily, mad that this was all a waste of time. She wanted answers, secrets, anything that could help her keep her friends alive._

_The woman stopping moving, her black hair surrounding her head as Rin held her breath in anticipation._

_"Katsumi," she said softly, so soft that Rin almost didn't hear. She had no time to say anything else because the woman had been completely swallowed by the raging sea._

_The image started to blur and slowly fade out, transporting Rin into a sea of darkness._

It was a silent morning. Hardly anyone slept as they all remained in the living room that night. Including the fire demon that seemed more quiet than usual as he stared out at the thunderstorm that had to so dramatically show up and make the situation seem even more dire.

Rin remembered clearly what had happened. She was laying there and blinked, but when she reopened her eyes she appeared at that strange ocean with that even stranger woman.

When she finally came to, Makoto was staring at her so intently that it was like he knew what happened but all she did was go to the bathroom and stare at her reflection.

Katsumi -That was who the woman claimed to be and as Rin looked at herself it was almost like she saw Katsumi looking out of her eyes, intertwining with Rin herself. It was like she was guiding her in a way that Rin had never noticed before. It was all so confusing but it did not change her feelings of their situation in the least.

Rin would be lying if she said that she was not terrified but she would use that fear to keep herself alive. She had never realized it before but she had too much to live for. How could she separate herself from them? Her new family was the only thing that was important to her.

She would do her best to be strong and fearless so they wouldn't have to worry about her. She felt determined to prove herself and show the world that she was not a weak little girl. She always just accepted their words, never realizing that she didn't have to be what they claimed she was.

They called her ugly yet Hiei seemed to like her enough to touch her and show her a gentleness that he showed no one else. She had the truest friends a person could have and that was more than she could say about the rest of the world who use and abuse one another.

She was not ugly. She may not be the picture perfect model that the world deemed as beautiful but she was not ugly. She was Rin and being herself was better than contorting herself to be what others wanted her to be. Amos will regret killing her family and messing with her new one. He trapped her in her mind to weaken her but he will soon realize that he did the opposite.

She knew that there was so much that was unknown about her life but she was okay with that. All that matters to her is the present and everything else can be worried about later.

"We should leave. The finals don't take place at the stadium. It's a little deeper in the woods and a bit of a walk from here," Kurama said gently, breaking Rin out of her thoughts as the group ate a small breakfast consisting of bagels and bacon in silence.

"How is it that you know everything Kurama?" Kuwabara questioned, desperate to break the stiff silence and bring back the playful air that was always around the group.

"I listen to instructions," Kurama answered back as everyone got up from their spots around the living room.

Rin wanted to say something but she found that she couldn't find her voice. That little trip into her mind really screwed her up despite her new determination because of her meeting with Katsumi. She had never realized before just how much she was hurt by her past. It made her feel weak. Everyone has had bad things go on in their past and some have had it worst.

That was the only time her mom had ever hit her. Her brother was always there to save her. There are people who have to go it alone. For that, she decided that was going to be grateful for her brother's sacrifice and stop wallowing in stupid self pity -or at least she would try her best. How can she separate herself from her emotions like she was told to? It seems like her emotions are what keep her going.

Katsumi seemed heartless and like solid stone instead of the water that was her element. She must have been through a lot and done some horrible things. Would that mean that Rin did those things to?

Rin had stayed awake after their little meeting and in that time she came to the conclusion that Katsumi is her past self. Maybe she was like a reincarnation or maybe she is an old ancestor that is trying to guide her for whatever reason. Rin really didn't know and she wasn't sure if she ever would.

Rin sighed, rubbing her tired eyes as a headache started to find its way to her overworked brain.

"Calm down Onna. When you are fighting today, do not let your guard down at any cost and play it smart and safe. Put your barrier up around your mind."

She didn't even realize that she didn't have a protective barrier around her mind she was so damn distracted.

She sighed as she concentrated just as Makoto showed her and built her wall back in place. She glanced over at Hiei who nodded slightly, telling her it was back. His eyes kept hers for a moment, showing only a tad of his concern for her safety.

Everyone exited the quiet hotel, the halls empty instead of the other contestants running up and down the halls, their drunken screams annoyingly loud as they partied and bickered with one another. Some had decided to stay like Blaize and Bryce who were a few levels above them.

It was eerie. Rin never realized just how many people had left the island through death or own free will -Mainly death.

She took a deep breath, putting her mask tightly in place and following after Kurama into the woods and to their new stadium. She was praying that whoever was listening at that current time would give her the strength to stay alive. She needed a miracle.

~~W~~W~~W~~

He laughed to himself -excitement bubbling in the pit of his chest as his eyes flashed in mirth. Rin, Makoto, Raiden and all of their little friends, they had no idea that he was just playing a sick twisted game with them this whole time. He had been toying with them all the way up until this faithful moment. Oh, but they would learn soon enough.

His dear, dear Makoto -he would make him suffer, cry and beg for his pathetic life to end -After he had his way with him like he used to in the past of course. Just the thought sent more excitement through the demons brittle bones.

"Master, here is the food you wanted."

He turned around, his dark hood hiding every one of his features. The only thing you could tell about him was that he was petite for a man.

"Wonderful Angel!" he yelled in his squeaky voice. The young cat demon flinched slightly at the high pitch that was multiplied by 10 with her delicate blonde cat ears.

"Come, come, sit down and celebrate with me!"

The cat demon blinked in confusion, her light green eyes almost covered completely from her dilated pupils due to the darkness of the room.

"As you wish, Master," she said quietly as she walked in the room slowly, her strawberry blonde hair following her movements.

She sat down the tray of food on the table and gently lowered herself into the seat, being careful of the tiny white dress that she was forced to wear as her uniform.

The man in the black cloak just chuckled at her antics, so unsure and innocent in her ways. That was why she caught his attention. That was also why she was the only one that he would actually talk to, simply for the fact that he liked to unnerve her and it was so easy.

He had never taken advantage of her but he enjoyed watching her stir and force back tears as he ran his hands down her untouched body, the silk of her flesh more exiting than sex with her ever could be.

He enjoyed the way she would flinch and shake as he screamed at her for no reason, her fear so evident in her mind, body and soul. Such a frightened little kitten she was, yet…she never broke down and cried -she never snapped at him. She always stayed composed and elegant and oh how is drove him mad! He wanted to break her, and then, and only then, will he take advantage of her and kill her. That's when she will loose her appeal. He counted down the days.

"The finals should be starting in about 20-minute's sir."

"Yes it should. Then I can put my real plan into effect."

Then he started back into a manic laughter, a laugh that only an insane man could ever have. It was joyful, yet dark and promised blood and death. The neko pushed back her fear that her so called Master inflicted in her. Her feelings were not safe from his powers. Nothing was safe from his powers.

A lesson that the group he was after were about to learn.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Guys, this can't be it," Kuwabara mumbled as he took towards the large building in front of them.

Vines were crawling up the chipped white paint that was stained with dirt and other things that Rin decided to ignore in hopes that she won't loose her breakfast.

It was wide in its structure and Rin wondered how she had never of noticed this before. It was too big of a building for her and the others not to notice what with it being smack in the MIDDLE of the forest where they all had roamed more than once.

"Amos had protected this building with some sort of barrier that played tricks on the mind," Kurama's voice was low and his eyes cold as he examined the building, calculating something that would take Rin century's to most likely understand.

"How did he fool my jagon?" Hiei growled, his eyes narrowed and displeased as they burned with a fire so cold and hateful that you would freeze to death instead of burn.

"Your jagon is nothing compared to Amos," Makoto replied, his voice soft compared to his normal feisty attitude.

He was anxious. Rin could feel it though he gave nothing away -anxious, angry, sad...guilty. Rin had no idea what was causing it but she had been feeling it through their connection since she had that meeting with Katsumi.

"We shouldn't go in there. I'm tingling all over and my tingles are always right."

Rin turned towards Kuwabara. He was literally shaking, his eyes wide in a fight that she had never seen in him before.

"Don't worry you big baby, I got this."

Rin stiffened. Sarcastic voice, rude word play...

"Yusuke!" Rin screeched as she turned around and launched herself at the half demon.

She had missed how rude he was, his loud dramatic voice, his messy bed hair; she had missed him all together.

"Hey little bit, its good to know you're still alive. Damn, what did that ancient weirdo do to you? You're not a stick anymore."

Rin blushed into Yusuke's white tee-shirt, happy that he was here when they truly needed him the most.

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara bellowed and soon after a large bone crushing weight was behind Rin, making her the ham and Yusuke and Kuwabara the bread in their screwed up sandwich

"Can't...breathe," Rin choked out, her blush turning into a more purple color as she suffocated between the two men.

She was suddenly yanked to the side, her body quickly being removed from between them. She took a deep breath as her back hit a hard chest.

"Thank you. I was terrified," she said softly, turning around to look at her savior.

"Hn," the fire demon replied, a half smirk on his face as his eyes sparkled in a dark amusement.

"Look what you did you dumbass! You almost killed Rin!"

"Urameshi, how dare you leave me alone with all of these weirdo demons!" Kuwabara cried while ignoring the thrashing Yusuke as he tried to shake him off, cursing because he was latched on like a monkey.

"I thought I was exited," Rin mumbled, a look of disgust on her face even though she was smiling.

There was snot coming out of Kuwabara's nose he was crying so hard.

"Kuwabara! Stop acting like a baby!"

The teenage form of Koenma approached them, his expression mimicking Rin's, but his eyes looked old, tired and concerned.

"Said the guy who takes the form of a baby," mumbled Yusuke as he finally got Kuwabara off of him, making him crash on the ground with his butt in the air.

"Kuwabara, you are to come with me to the Spirit World and Yusuke will take your place."

Kuwabara was soon on his feet, his face serious and deadly. It was odd and out of character for him. Not to mention sudden.

"Take Rin, she is young and has less fighting experience. We're all on our own and she has no chance against A class demons."

"Neither do you. There are far worst than A class demons on this island," Hiei said coldly.

"What?" Kuwabara questioned, worry flashing through his eyes.

"Hiei is right. This island...its influenced by Amos completely. The people are real but I'm afraid to say that we're all actually in Demon World which means S class demons are allowed. How else are you guys competing? Surly you don't think they would allow powerful demons to fight in the human world? It could get blown up!"

Everyone fell into silence as that realization hit them. There were A class demons all over the place and Makoto, Hiei and Yusuke were S class. Kurama was also an S class when he is Youko. Raiden was S class as well. Human World would NEVER host so many powerful demons, let alone have them fight to the death.

How come they had never thought of that?

"Tell me, when you were on the boat do you remember the whole ride?"

Everyone blinked in surprise at the Rulers words; not fully understanding what he was saying yet somehow knowing what he was not saying.

"We were watching the fight and then we were at the island. Anyone remember in-between?" Makoto questioned, surprise even on his face.

"No," Kurama said gently, yet his words were laced with poison.

Rin glanced at Hiei who was frowning, looking even angrier.

"He fooled me. Even with my Jagon! Where are we really?" Hiei growled -his attention and glare now directed at the fidgety ruler.

"As I said you are all in the Makai, in Amos's hideout. Have any of you noticed anything strange like the lack of places you can go even though you have the whole forest? Since everyone is real if you die you die in real life. It is crucial you stay alive."

"When did you find this out Koenma?" Makoto questioned -his voice shaky in disbelief of the turn of events.

"I noticed when I came to get Jesse. Because I am the Spirit World Ruler and not a physical being per say, I can come and go as I please and bring whoever I want with me, but only their spirit form. Amos still has Jesse's body along with all of yours, except Yusuke who is still in Spirit World technically. The only way out is to fight and win. This was all a sick game to him. Try not to think about it too hard -Its one big confusing mess."

"This whole time...this explains so much," Rin said softly, her eyes closing as she tried to process everything without freaking out.

"That bastard," Kurama growled -his fist clenching for only a moment before his face became cold.

This was the first time Rin had ever seen Kurama so angry and never had she heard the polite and proper man curse. She knew it was because his mate was still in danger.

"Kuwabara, you're coming with me. Rin needs to stay and fight. She has no other choice," Koenma gave Kuwabara a very intense secretive look and then glanced at Yusuke.

"Let's go," Kuwabara said calmly, stepping away from the team like a man on a mission.

"Be careful," was all he said before disappearing in a portal.

"You know more than what you are saying," Kurama said calmly, his brain had already processed the information and now it was searching for a plan.

"Don't worry. Kuwabara has a mission to do. All we have to do is have one of us win and none of us die."

"Easier said then done friend," Makoto answered, all disbelief gone and replaced with hard unbreakable stone.

They walked slowly towards the building, Makoto and Yusuke in the front, Kurama in the middle, and Hiei and Rin in the back.

She reached her small hand out, gently gripping Hiei's as she lanced her silky fingers with his calloused ones. Very gently, she squeezed his hand, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

She felt her fears and insecurities wash away as he gently squeezed back, no words needed between the two as the team marched towards what may be their last fight.


	20. Chapter 19

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 19: Final Match: Part Two: Last Fight**

The moment they entered the building they were all pulled roughly in different directions. Cuffs were clasp on their hands and Rin automatically felt her energy leave her body. The constant power that flowed through her veins and bones seemed to suddenly bind itself so she couldn't reach it and over power the tall brainless morons that were shoving her small body without a care if she was hurt. If anything they intended to hurt her.

She heard fighting, screaming and cussing behind her, but as she was dragged further down a causal white walled hallway the last thing she heard was Hiei scream in furry and Yusuke scream her name. Kuwabara was right. They should have never of walked into this obvious trap.

"Stop struggling!" the man boomed, hitting her as hard as he could in her back.

She growled, the sound resembling something that you would hear from a crazed wolf that was cornered. She fought to keep her knees from crumbling under her, the hit hurting like hell and leaving what she was sure would be a nasty bruise.

She kept her cool, staying silent as the two men talked to one another in a different language.

**"Hiei?"** she called out in her mind, not sure if he would hear or not but praying that he would hear her because she needed to hear his voice more now than ever.

**"Where are you? Are you hurt?"** his voice faintly asked.

There was worry, anger and pain coming through their link. It was so overwhelming that Rin was tempted to try and take both of these big ass men without her demon energy. Odds are, that wouldn't be that most logical thing to do but she needed to get to Hiei.

**"Don't be stupid Onna. Everyone is fine. We're all a little wounded but nothing serious. Yusuke and Makoto were pulled away from us and in two different directions. Kurama is with me."**

Rin took a deep breath in, happy that everyone is okay -For now.

**"Hiei, don't worry about me. Worry about yourself and staying alive okay? I will be fine."**

They took another turn -So far a right, right and a left. All of the hallways were the same and it just seemed like they were walking down the same hall repeatedly.

**"Onna, be safe and smart."**

Very slowly the link faded out, kind of like when you start driving towards a place with no phone signal. Rin had to stop herself from trying to break free and take on the men. Hiei's warm presents leaving her mind left her feeling alone and empty. She needed him but she was in this alone and she will fight to get back to him. She had to.

Finally they stopped moving, two old dark wooden double doors in front of them. The doors opened and then faster than Rin could process her hand cuffs were gone and she was thrown in the room but only to land on luscious green grass.

"Holy crap," she whispered as she looked at the forest that stretched out in front of her but that was hardly the focus of her attention.

There was what appeared to be an army of demons that were all A class with one S class demon standing at the very front.

Not one of them had a face. They all had long black hair and were all naked with the same tan, 8-feet tall muscular body.

"Holy crap," she repeated, her eye's betraying her and showing her fear and panic. She didn't even care that they were nude.

"Get up."

Rin took a shallow breath in as the deep voice whispered in her ear lightly, soothing her fear instead of scaring her further.

She stood up and looked slightly behind her.

"Raiden," she whispered, honestly happy to be seeing the S class demon that she would never in 10 million years beat but surly he could take down this army no problem. She would rather die by his hands than theirs.

"Do your best to hold off the A class demon while I fight the S class one. I will help you if you need it but just so you know you have the power to take half of this army out with one blow. I suggest you tap into it."

He briefly met her confused eyes, his own holding so much authority and confidence that Rin found herself nodding in agreement, determined to not let him down.

The opposing S class demon said something in another language that sounded like "Ash-no-mooka-tah", but whatever it was that he said made the army roar in anger and charged at them with their fangs bared and weapon of all kinds drawn.

Rin wasted no time in drawing her twin swords, her face stoic as she took a defensive stance.

You have the power to take half of this army out with one blow -That was what Raiden had said. She prayed with everything in her that he was right.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"I'm assuming that this was why we weren't separated," Kurama said calmly, examining the large army of naked men in front of them with calculating eyes.

"Hn. Do you think you can bring out Youko? We're going to need him."

Hiei saw through the corner of his eye the red headed half breed turn into the tall ruthless fox demon.

"Our only chance is to take out the S class demon first," Kurama said softly, his golden eyes narrowed and glancing around in deep thought.

"You concentrate on the leader. I will be distracting the A class demons while planting seeds that will rid of what's left," Kurama mouthed, not one word leaving his mouth.

Hiei nodded, understanding the bandit's way of communicating when they could not use out loud words.

They waited for their opponents to make the first move, which they did only a few seconds later.

The army roared out, raising weapons of all kinds as they ran towards the two demons. Hiei wasted no time in charging towards the S class demon, easily distinguishing the demons that got too close by his overwhelming demon energy.

His sword was met with a large spiky ball that the faceless demon had on a chain. Hiei was soon consumed by his own fight, trusting Kurama to take care of himself. It didn't take long for blood to stain the air and the grass surrounding them as a full on war unfolded, much worst and more brutal than the Civil War and the Crusades combined.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Hey, put on some fucking cloths you stupid nudists!"

Yusuke snorted, amused by the snake demons yells as they fought beside one another, destroying any of the naked faceless demons in their path.

They were unorganized but neither of them seemed like strategist. They wasted no time and both struck down the S class demon first, Yusuke hitting him with his spirit gun and Taro spitting what looked like a big tan ball of deadly poison -Needless to say that their combined attacks wiped out not only the S class demon but a quarter of his little army.

They watched each others back, both fighting with their fist and screaming out profanities and insults though it appeared that these men weren't exactly real. That didn't mean that their man parts weren't flapping around every which way, disgusting both of the men.

"Ewe, Get your tiny dick off of me!" Taro screamed -his snake eyes wide and horribly frightened as he punched the demon that grabbed him from behind in the gut.

Yusuke couldn't help it. He doubled over in laughter, holding his gut as tears fell from his amused brown eyes.

"Ha, I can't believe that just happened. Priceless," Yusuke laughed, his body starting to shake as his laughter increased.

"Shut the fuck up," Taro yelled before his eyes went wide and then he to was doubled over in laughter.

"Why are you laughing?" Yusuke asked while looking over to the tall snake demon who was giggling like a girl scout on crack.

The snake just pointed behind Yusuke's crouched over body, tears starting to now fall from his overly happy eyes.

Yusuke slowly looked behind him, his eyes becoming wide and horrified.

"What the hell!" Yusuke screeched, launching himself forward in desperate attempts to get away from the demon that was almost pressed against him from behind.

"Dumbass," Taro teased before launching a throwing dagger at the naked demons heart.

The two demons swallowed the silence as they looked around the bloody battlefield. It was eerily quiet, no animals or sounds besides their breathing.

"So this is where it gets serious," Yusuke stated while standing up, all amusement and laughter gone as he narrowed his eyes in a fierce determination.

Taro just nodded before getting in a fighting stance. Yusuke followed suit.

"Let the best man win," Taro said politely before powering up a dangerous amount of energy that gave Yusuke chills.

He sure did hate it when things became serious but unlike Taro he knew what was really going on and Yusuke had to win. He had to.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Why the hell do I always seem to be fighting beautiful woman?" Makoto mused as he stared across at the Egyptian looking demon who was wearing only a black toga like dress that showed a large amount of cleavage and the curves of her body.

"Because you are just so handsome," the demon taunted, carelessly kicking a faceless head out of the way.

She had a rather deep voice that had a Spanish sounding accent. She was beautiful with her dark skin, hair and eyes, but only one woman has his heart.

"Well Tara, lets get to the grand finally hem? I have someone dear to me that I need to make sure is still alive."

"Of course," she whispered, before holding up her two blue handled sai swords.

Makoto waited patiently for her to charge and when she did he easily laid her out flat. Makoto sighed as he hit the woman in the head, knocking her out cold.

Why the hell did Amos put her up against him? She was weak compared to the ancient demon. Surly Amos knew that.

"What the hell are you planning Amos! Why do you want me in top condition you asshole? Why?" Makoto yelled as he spread out his bloodied arms, his energy spiking dangerously in his anger.

That was when a thought hit him. All breath left his lungs as he glanced at the woman lying at his feet.

"If we're in a world that is made up and our real bodies are else where, what happens when you get knocked out?"

Makoto felt sick and worried as his eyes went wide in realization. Amos never intended on all of them getting out. Their minds are not safe no matter what barrier they have up. They were not harmed before because he didn't want them to be but now everything is different.

"Shit, shit, shit," Makoto mumbled as he looked around the fake forest.

None of this made sense to him. Why go through all of this trouble? Why make them believe a fake world and bring so many innocent people into this mess?

"Shit," Makoto repeated as doors appeared out of no where and a group of men stepped out.

They all wore black ninja type cloths that hid all of their features but the one in the front had a gun held out. A big boom sounded throughout the air as something hit his chest, binding all of his demon energy without wounding him.

The group of men all surrounded him, dragging him out of the door and to god knows where.

~~W~~W~~W~~

She was panting and covered in blood from head to toe. She fought furiously but every now and again a few demons would sink deep into the ground when they were about to strike her when she wasn't looking. Raiden kept his promise to help her when she needed it and never once did he fail her even though she had no idea where he was or how he made the demons get trapped in the ground.

It only took him a few minutes to dispose of the S class demon, out thinking it from centuries of life. By then Rin was already covered in cuts and blood but the determination remained on her face as she dodged, striked, parried and did her best to not let them surround her.

"Run towards the trees and jump as high in one as you can go," the wind whispered to her, Raiden's voice strict and like he hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Crap," Rin mumbled as she decapitated a demon before running full speed towards the trees.

She jumped as high as she could; landing only halfway in the tree due to the fact that she wasn't a very good jumper. She watched in silence as fire seemed to spread out like an ocean on the battlefield.

"Oh my…" she whispered in ah, completely memorized as all of the demons disintegrated when the fire slithered close enough. It was beautiful, dangerous, and so amazingly powerful that it left her tingling

Almost automatically the fire disappeared, the grass still surprisingly lush and green. Rin jumped down from the tree and slowly walked towards the demon with caution in every step.

He was staring at the grass in deep thought, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips in a straight line.

"This world is not real. Amos created it and it seems we all blacked out at some point and are actually in the Makai. The only thing that is real is us."

Raiden's eyes snapped up to meet hers. She found herself shifting uncomfortably under his intense gaze.

"That is far beyond what Amos can do. He must have help," Raiden said quietly and once again she wouldn't have heard him if his voice didn't carry in the wind.

"Why does your voice carry itself in the wind? It's like you're whispering in my ear or something," Rin asked gently, tilting her head in curiosity.

For a moment he just looked at her, a far away look in his dark eyes.

"I don't like to talk," he said gently, a sad undertone to his deep voice.

"Raiden, do we know each other from somewhere -Perhaps a past life?"

Rin felt all of the air leave her lungs as his eyes grew hard and cold but not mean. More like he was guarding something and the question took him off guard. She found it to be weird that she read his emotions so well.

"Perhaps," he said blankly but before Rin could stop herself she found herself asking a question she didn't even want to ask Makoto.

"Do you know a woman by the name of Katsumi?"

It was like his whole cool demeanor crumbled before Rin, one by one his brick wall started collapsing as shock, pain, and worry took over his features.

"Rin," he whispered, slowly walking towards her, "where did you hear that name?"

She watched him for a moment and felt sick. Something was definitely being kept from her and by the pained and worried expression on this powerful demons face Rin wasn't sure if she wanted to know what that thing was.

"She came to me two times. The first time was when I was trying to accept my demon side and the second time was to just give me cryptic answers and annoy me."

A corner of his mouth lifted slightly, his dark eyes lighting up like little fireworks before they were dead again.

"What did she say?"

Rin narrowed her eyes slightly, "She was telling me that in order to reach my true power or whatever, that I needed to separate myself from my emotions and the people I care about."

"Makoto didn't teach you that?" Raiden asked, now only a foot from Rin.

"He may have mentioned it but I only had two month of training so I didn't really have time. I think that was what he was trying to teach me when I killed a crazed mother bear demon."

Rin didn't even notice that Raiden had skillfully managed to steer the conversation away from if he knew who Katsumi was.

"Do you remember what I said about us facing one another? You will try your hardest understand? I do not waste my time with weaklings."

Rin nodded, holding up her swords while taking a defensive pose.

"We must not knock each other out. I can only imagine where he will send us if we fall in a comatose."

"Sounds good," Rin agreed, but she then found her face planted deep in the ground, the oddly life like grass and dirt sticking to her blood covered form.

"That was cheep," she mumbled as she peeled herself away from the ground.

Raiden chuckled before disappearing. He didn't stay gone for long because he soon came out of no where, grabbed her by the hair and tossed her like she was a rag doll across the field.

"Asshole," she grumbled as she got up and blocked the strike that would have been fatal in her chest.

She was a baby compared to him. How in the hell was she supposed to beat an S class demon when she was only a B?

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Hiei, something is not right," Kurama panted, kneeling down in the bloody body parts that drenched the whole battle field.

"Hn," Hiei gasped, falling to his knees as well.

"We must not let ourselves fall into his magic. He does not want us to go on and we're too evenly matched. He was hoping we would kill each other."

"What do you suggest we do fox?"

The two demons were now on their hands and knees, their eyes fighting to stay open as their energy seemed to start leaving their body.

"Fight it," Kurama choked out, his eyes flickering as his clawed hands dug up the grass and the dirt.

Hiei couldn't even reply as his panting became even heavier along with his eyes. He had the Jagon eye. He wasn't supposed to fall into such mind tricks and be so easily fooled, yet he was just as clueless and easy to control as everyone else.

"Hiei," Kurama whispered, his silver hair changing to red as he slowly lost grip over himself.

They were fighting, knowing each other's attacks so well that they were hardly hitting one another. They slowly started to tire out like a bath tub being drained. It was slow but fast enough for them to start to notice something was wrong.

It was not painful. It felt weightless and like the most beautiful thing in the world, to just let themselves go and fall into a blissful sleep. It was tempting.

Hiei watched with tried eyes as Kurama collapsed, his green eyes closing and his breathing evening out as he fell into a deep slumber.

He grunted before collapsing himself. His eyes slowly started to close as he felt himself start to fall into the darkness. He wasn't even allowed a last thought due to the fogginess in his mind but the last thing his blurry eyes saw was a black figure in the far distance, blurring into the green of the forest as they watched everything unfold.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Yusuke grunted as he wiped the blood away from his mouth. Taro was challenging but Yusuke was trained to rule his ancestral father's territory and that was not training for pussies.

The snake demon was lying knocked out a few feet away, Yusuke finally getting him down by a surprise attack to the back with his spirit gun. He was tired out though and he had a bad feeling about what was going to happen next.

A door appeared in the middle of the field and directly across from him. He narrowed his eyes and watched as a group of ninja looking men came out of it. He had no time to act as the one in the front held up a gun and fired.

"What the hell?" Yusuke screamed as something black hit his chest and all of his demon energy locked itself up.

The ninja group pounced on him and roughly pulled him through the door. The ninjas seemed to disappear as Yusuke fell on his stomach, stone stabbing violently into him.

Very slowly his demon energy came back to him, starting from his toes and then workings its way up.

"This shit is crazy," Yusuke mumbled as he got up and looked around the dark cell room.

"Makoto?" Yusuke questioned, spotting a tall figure sitting on a bench in the corner.

"Hey," he replied in a scratchy voice.

"Are you okay man," Yusuke asked carefully, only being able to see the shadow of the unpredictable demon.

"I've been cussing Amos out, hoping he can hear me," he said sourly.

"Okay, well do you know what we do now?"

"We wait until everyone else is done fighting and we pray that where ever Amos sends the losers is kind."

Yusuke frowned as worry etched its way across his face. He closed his eyes as he did something rare, he prayed.

'Dear God of Kicking Ass,

Let all of my friends be okay. Let Keiko be resting in the Spirit World with our children instead of worrying herself sick like I know she is. And make sure that Kuwabara's stupid ass hasn't fucked up the plan because if I'm risking myself for no damn reason when I have kids, I am going to be pissed. Uh, yeah so let's kick some ass. Amen'

He opened his eyes and saw Makoto's yellow ones watching him with a rather sad expression. This may be the craziest thing Yusuke had ever done even when he was a Spirit Detective. Never before has a situation been this dangerous and risky. Al of the odds was against them.

There was the sound of a door opening somewhere in the dark stone room, the creaking sound it produced bouncing off of the walls loudly and almost painfully.

"Hiei? Kurama?"

Yusuke was on his feet in a matter of seconds –desperate to get over to the two lumps of bodies. They were both breathing deeply -their eyes closed and blood covering each of their frames. They looked oddly peaceful.

"Their asleep," Makoto said softly, a tired sigh escaping his lips.

"That's not good is it?" Yusuke questioned, sitting down on his butt as he watched his friends with worried and confused eyes. He was never good with tactics and strategy. Amos was nothing but those things –always planning ahead and never missing a beat.

"No its not."

"Fucking fantastic."

~~W~~W~~W~~

She was tired, bloody, sore, angry, annoyed, and all of those feeling were caused by an old handsome demon who was faster, stronger and wiser than she could ever be.

He kept her on the run, blocked all of her attacks, constantly made her trip over roots he manipulated, pushed her over with a gust of wind and made her feel foolish. The worst part was that she knew he was holding back.

"Come on Rin, you're letting your anger get the better of you," Raiden teased calmly.

Rin stopped attacking, her breathing ragged as she hunched over and closed her eyes. She felt heavy and wrong. Her brain was starting to burn like someone had lit it on fire. Her body was starting to feel like it was glued to the ground though mentally she felt like she was floating and slowly loosing herself. They may have been going at it for awhile but this was not right.

"Rin?"

Raiden was by her side in a heartbeat, his wings stretched out and wrapping around her like a shield.

"My head hurts," she whimpered, not truly registering who he was and what was going on.

"That bastard," Raiden mumbled, his large hand cupping her chin and making her face him.

Her eyes were heavily dilated and out of focus, her skin becoming colder by the second.

"I wanted to give you two some time to see each other once more. You know, since you will all be dying soon."

Raiden stiffened as he clutched Rin's small body to his, hiding her from view with his wings.

"Amos, why did you bring an innocent girl into this? I know you have realized by now that she is not Katsumi."

His voice was heavily controlled, nothing but ice escaping his words.

Amos chuckled, his black cloak showing nothing but Raiden knew what it was that he hid so desperately under that cloak. He was always such a vain demon.

"You know as well as I Raiden that the woman in your arms is your beloved Katsumi -The same bitch that ruined my plans and godly looks. If that wasn't Katsumi, than why do you hide her from me like you would hide a child from a rapist? You don't care about anyone or anything except her."

Raiden narrowed his eyes, a fire starting to burn in their black depths.

"How about this, if you willingly hand me over the girl than everyone here will be released and unharmed -including Makoto."

Raiden snorted, his eyes becoming bored as he stared at the smaller demon hidden pathetically by a black cloak.

"I am not a child for you to manipulate."

Amos chuckled, "Oh I know. That's why I have a plan B."

Raiden then clenched his teeth tight has a fire erupted in his head. He fought it, the burning darkness that threatened to over take him.

"I know that this is not real," Raiden choked out, blood starting to ooze out of his mouth from his stubborn disobedience.

"If you can die than it is just as real as anywhere else. Now stop fighting sleep before your brain explodes. I have a special surprise for our little Rin, or should I say Katsumi? I have a special surprise for you to. I'll give you a hint; it's a trip to the past. Oh poo, I ruined the surprise!"

Raiden tired to fight it some more but it resulted in him coughing up more blood. Everything was spinning, everything was on fire. Everything was amplified as more pressure seemed like it was being added to his head.

"I'm sorry. I failed you again," Raiden whispered, falling forward and onto Rin who had already past out.

"Awe, you two always did make a beautiful couple," Amos mocked, pulling out an old grey cell phone before disappearing. The ninja's showed up only a second later.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Why the hell won't these two wake the fuck up?" Yusuke yelled, slapping Hiei and Kurama both in the face as hard as he could without breaking bones.

"Because Amos has trapped them else where. Basically they are asleep and wont wake up until Amos is dead," Makoto answered back blandly, his body unnaturally still as he stared at the wall across from him with blank eyes.

"Shit," Yusuke whispered, glancing around the stone room in hopes that something would give him an idea.

"There is no way out of this Yusuke. We are at his mercy."

The door that always seemed to come out of no where opened with a slam -a black figure was thrown carelessly into the room making Yusuke jump up in surprise.

"Raiden," Makoto whispered, finally getting up and showing some emotion as worry flashed through his eyes.

"Where is Rin?" Yusuke questioned, watching as the door stayed opened and the ninja's disappeared.

"I don't know but we're finding her," Makoto said while lifting Raiden onto his back.

Yusuke followed suit, lifting Kurama on his back and then Hiei. Both of the demons made their way out of the room but only to enter a stadium almost like the one they had been fighting in the whole time.

"Where are the crazy demon fans?" Yusuke questioned, sitting his two friends down in the grass as he looked at the empty stadium.

"Only the fighters and announcers were real. Or course I could have made the teams if I wanted to, but nothing is fun without real death."

"Amos," Makoto growled, his eyes narrowing in on a black cloaked figure in the middle of the stands.

"Rin!" Yusuke yelled -examining the disturbing condition she was in.

Makoto growled dangerously as he took in the disquieting sight. She was tide up to a long table, tubes and needles sticking in random parts of her body including her head. She was only in her dark blue sports bra and tight black pants.

Metal bands were around her wrist, upper arms, neck, upper thighs and ankles. They were so tight that they were making blood ooze down her body in thick pools.

"What are you planning Amos?" Makoto screamed in furry, his demon energy soaring out of his body in angry waves.

Amos flinched for a moment, before he crossed his arms and chuckled.

"Always so short fused," he teased, "One thing I was not planning was for that half breed to make it here. He should have fallen asleep like everyone else."

"Hey dumbass, unlike everyone else I knew what was going on and I took the proper precautions," Yusuke answered back sarcastically while fingering a silver chain that was tucked into his white tee-shirt.

Makoto smirked, knowing that powerful magic resided in that simple chain. As long as Yusuke wears that chain made in the Spirit World by the Ruler himself, than Yusuke will be immune to anything Amos may throw at him.

"No matter, now their will be a slight change to the plan."

"And what is that Amos?" Makoto questioned, giving Yusuke a look of approval before turning his attention back to Amos.

"You two will fight -To the death."

It was like the air left the room as both of the demons froze up and glanced at each other once again, each thinking the same thing.

Shit.


	21. Chapter 20

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 20: Raiden and Katsumi: How it began**

He was panting, running so hard that he felt like his legs were going to break. He maneuvered through the Makai trees with a tired sloppiness, clumsy and panicked that he had gotten caught.

"We will catch you kid! And then we will tear you apart limb by limb while you cry in agony!" a demon yelled behind him, his voice angry and deep.

He was a child, raised by only himself since his parents were murdered when he was only a baby. In order to eat he stole and cheated. He took advantage of anyone stupid enough to trust him. This time however the demon was much smarter than him, and when he went to steal a loaf of bread the older demon caught him red handed. Now he was running for his life.

Being a half bat, half elemental demon he was already looked down upon by other demons. He was seen as a monstrosity for reasons he never knew why. He use to stay up at night and wonder why they hated him enough to go and rid of his parents for simply loving each other when love in the demon world was so rare indeed. As time went on however he became angry, bitter, and hateful towards everyone -Including himself.

"How do I get out of this?" he mumbled as he dodged an arrow that would have struck through his heart.

He already had one of those arrows hit him in his wings when he tried to fly out of the situation. That was when everything truly took a turn for the worst.

He was so malnourished that he struggled to keep his thin dirty body moving. His lugs felt like they were pressing viciously against his ribcage. He had to keep running though. His deceitful selfish ways would surly promise a bloody death. He was far too proud to allow such dishonor to happen.

However he was just too weak and tired and soon not even his own pride could keep him from falling from over exertion. He grunted as the impact threatened to break the bones in his frail body. He would not plead though. He shall never beg for doing what he must to survive this unfair land. He will kill anyone who threatened to get in his way and he had multiple times.

Raiden was lost to the world as blood poured from his battered body. He could hear the yelling, the screaming, and the manic laughter of joy as chaos unfolded around the young wounded demon. He was numb though and the child demon welcomed it with open arms.

"You are awfully messy my friend."

Raiden peeled his dark eyes opened and had to blink a few times to clear his clouded vision. However, the demon staring down at him with cheerful bright yellowish golden eyes was not what he was expecting. And neither was the slight fear that coursed through the half-breeds blood at the mere power of this blood covered young demon.

His blood soaked form was contradicting against the manic cheerfulness of his smile and eyes. He wore no shirt and his bright orange hair flowed all over the place. It was coated in blood on almost every strand. He looked like he had just bathed himself in these older and more experienced demons blood. This demon was only about a decade older than Raiden and he was already up to middle A class status. Raiden was only a C.

"You appeal to me little half-breed. I promise no harm will come to you now. You have so much potential in those fragile bones of yours. So much hatred that can he channeled into power if you allow it."

Raiden blinked furiously, trying to keep his focus and body from drifting off.

"Who are you?" he managed to choke out.

The older demon smiled, his blood strained fangs more menacing than Raiden thought the demon noticed. He had the feeling that this demon was trying to be gentle but it just wasn't in his nature to be nurturing. Raiden could understand that.

"I am Makoto little half-breed. Who are you?"

Raiden sniffled, surprisingly not getting offended by the half-breed title. That was indeed what he was and he had heard much, much worst in his years of living.

"Raiden."

Makoto seemed to brighten by this little piece of information being revealed. He looked proud as he stared down at the battered demon child.

"Well Raiden, you will find that from here on out you will no longer need to sink yourself as low as thievery ever again. Now sleep little half-breed. When you wake your life will be forever changed."

And Raiden did indeed fall asleep, unable to stay conscious long enough to ask this demon what he meant. He found, even in his young age, that he had nothing to live for, nothing to loose. If he never woke up, well, what would there be to miss?

~~W~~W~~W~~

The first thing he noticed was the warmth. It was so soft and gentle -so soothing as he pictured his beautiful mother holding him and singing softly with her velvet voice. Like she use to.

His eyes snapped open, suddenly not finding comfort in the warmth any longer. He begged for the cold again so he could become numb once more. But as he examined the expensive cloth blanket that was draped over his naked body he tossed thoughts of his mother far out of his head. He was in unknown territory.

He was bandaged up and in a large furnished room instead of chained to a stone wall being tortured somewhere. Someone had bathed him and he smelled like lavender.

He was confused and awed as he looked around the large room. There were ancient weapons scattered in the carved stone walls. Cross bows, spears, swords and every other weapon Raiden could think of. It was magnificent and threatening at the same time.

"Good, you're awake. We have things to discuss little half-breed. Like where you are."

Raiden jumped, ashamed that he had not smelled the demon that was sitting in a chair on the right side of the room. It was the demon that had saved his life in the woods except he was cleaned and his wild hair was tied back into a perfect braid. He was still missing a shirt however, but unlike Raiden at least he had on pants.

"Where am I then?" Raiden questioned -his eyes hard and dark as coal.

Makoto seemed to jump, surprise and amazement flashing through his eyes.

"The wind, it carries your voice to my ears though you only whisper your words, I hear them clearly. Is that on purpose? Why didn't I notice it earlier?" Makoto questioned, his body leaning forward like he was looking at an animal doing something entertaining.

Raiden did not like that in the least.

"I don't like to talk and I have no control over it," he answered coldly, though honestly he didn't try to do it or not do it.

Raiden only spoke when he had to, if he had to. It was natural and he did it without thinking. He had to think more to not have his voice carry through the wind like it does.

Makoto narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the child with wise and knowing eyes before he said, "Elemental demons all have things about them that tell of their element yet you show nothing expect the wind caters to your needs without it being told to."

Ah, so Makoto did in-fact know the reason despite him questioning it. This demon was far too knowable and wise for Raiden's comfort.

"You are all of them aren't you? Is that why you lack color? Even your skin is colorless."

Raiden narrowed his eyes, though he himself had never thought this through. He never gave much attention to his black hair and eyes, or to the pale skin that made him look like he had never once been out in the sun. Even bat demons had color.

Makoto did not need a response from the demon because he knew he was right. Or he could simply just like the sound of his own girly voice. Raiden decided it was a mixture of the two.

"This is magnificent. I believe we have found a way to father's heart my friend."

Raiden gave the demon a very confused looked and Makoto slapped himself in the head.

"Oh, excuse me. I have forgotten to answer your question. I got side tracked," Makoto started laughing loudly as Raiden stared at him with impatience and a lot of dislike.

Either he was too stupid to notice or just didn't care because he continued to keep laughing though Raiden didn't understand what the hell was so funny.

Finally Makoto calmed himself down and he was suddenly serious, all amusement and warmth gone from his eyes. Raiden had decided that this demon was neurotic. He made a mental note to not piss him off.

"You are in the southern lands of the Makai -The lands that are controlled by my family."

Raiden immediately stiffened, his dark eyes widening in disbelief and slight fear. He was in the home of Royalty. Even though they ruled a small and isolated part of the Makai, they were ruthless and did not hesitate to kill those who challenge their authority. Outsiders were NOT welcomed in Gadico. This was the home of the ancient magical demons and mercy was not in their dictionary. Not even towards the innocent.

Raiden nearly passed out as he examined the tattoos that told of Makoto's ancient blood. How the hell did Raiden allow himself to not notice such important detail? He was surly to die now.

"You will not be harmed Raiden. I have brought you here and if anyone will be punished it will be me. However, I have plans for you and I feel that now my father will reconsider the deal I have made him. You will be a great asset and a welcomed guest here."

Makoto looked at the demon thoughtfully before his expression softened.

"I understand that you are not welcomed by the demons in our fucked up world. If you just work with me Raiden I will make sure that you will find acceptance and power. No one will ever dare look down on you again."

Raiden found himself nodding; trusting this crazy demon more than he knew was safe. But what did he have to loose besides his life? Not even that was valuable and if there was even a small chance that he can find a home, well then it was well worth the risk.

"Wonderful. Lets just get you some cloths and then we can go prove your worth to my father."

Makoto stood up and walked over to a wooden cabinet. He pulled out a black pair of pants that would surly be a little big for Raiden. He wasn't about to complain though.

Without shame he stood up and put the pants on and then tried to run his figures though his long messy black hair. It was so knotted that he couldn't even move his hand more than an inch.

"Here, I'll fix that for you," Makoto said cheerfully as he pulled out a dagger from his cabinet.

Raiden raised a thin black eyebrow but said nothing. After all, he truly didn't like to talk and hair was hardly an important matter. So he remained quiet as a neurotic murderous royal demon cut off his hair with a big dagger that could easily carve out his brain if the wielder ever decided to. Somehow that didn't seem too out of character for the magical demon.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Raiden fought furiously and elegantly with his long silver sword. His handsome face was blank and unfeeling as he struck down each and every opponent. He was ordered to take a group of men to stop the attack on their home and he was going to do his job. As Lord Makoto's second in command, he was pressured to be flawless but Raiden was fiercely loyal to the older demon. He had saved his life and fought to give him a home. In addition Raiden had to go through a week of hardcore training to make sure he was strong enough, but it was well worth it despite the dislike of him that some of the demons had.

With a burst of new determination Raiden began trapping their enemies into the ground. Soon after the small group of demons were nothing more than blood and guts on the ground, but not one of Raiden's men were among them. He had done his job as always.

"Go back to our home and to your families. We are done here. I will report to our majesty."

A few of the men flinched; disturbed by the tall demons voice so close to their ears. Most of them were from the younger generation so they were uncomfortable with their sexuality. It almost made the 900 year old demon roll his eyes. He was never so insecure in his childhood.

He was soon walking calmly through the stone hallways, ignoring the stares he always received from his intimidating dark presence. They were amazed by his wings that he had tucked up against his wide back but were all too scared to approach him. He didn't mind. The less he had to talk the better.

He entered the large royal room where the family sat waiting for his return. Makoto usually went with him but this time he could not due to business. Raiden hardly ever questioned Makoto but he did voice his opinions when it came to war. Together they made an undefeatable team.

"Your majesties, the invading army were stopped before they even touched our home. No men were lost," Raiden said as he bowed down on one knee.

"Wonderful Raiden, once again you have done your job flawlessly. Guards, please go wait outside," the King said gently though authority was seeping through his words.

The moment Raiden felt the guards were gone he stood up and dropped the formality that was required when you were in the presence of the Royal family -At least when others were watching.

Raiden examined the King. He had long braided golden hair and eyes that matched Makoto's. He had a strong face with a pointed nose that Makoto had inherited. He was an ancient demon of lightening.

"My boy, you have grown. You're now Makoto's height," the King said fondly.

"I see my Queen is coming along quiet well in her pregnancy," Raiden replied, his cold eyes softening as he examined the beautiful ancient shadow demon.

Her hair was long, straight and black and her eyes a dark blue. Her belly was big and Raiden could smell that any day now their baby will be born.

"Yes, I have a feeling this baby will be a girl," the queens soft voice cooed, her hand rubbing her belly affectionately.

Raiden watched, feeling a strange pull to his Queen. It had started ever since she had first gotten pregnant. The only one he spoke to it about was Makoto who honestly had no idea the reason. When he turned his attention back to the observant King however he could tell that the King knew something he didn't. His yellow eyes were almost happy as a smile tugged on the corner of his stoic mouth. The king never smiled.

"Ewe, only a week away from me Raiden and you let that mess you call hair get all long and tangled up."

Raiden turned his bored eyes to Makoto who was always pampered and groomed yet he seriously never wore a shirt. The only reason Raiden didn't have one on was for his wings. Makoto was just plain unstable.

"You can fix him later my son. Raiden has been working and must be tired. Lets allow him the gift of sleeping and peace," the King ordered, his eyes amused as he stared over at his son who was sitting more like a girl on his thrown, what with his long legs tossed over one another.

Raiden snorted, crossing his lean arms as he stared at his friend with displeasure written all over his face. He hated his hair cuts.

"You may leave now Raiden. Please try to be awake by the next three days. Our little baby will be due by then and I would like you to be one of the first people to see her. You are part of our family dear," the Queen said gently, somehow remaining sweet and caring despite her 3000 years of life and murder.

Raiden nodded, still a man of few words as he left the Royal conference room and headed to his own room for a much needed sleep.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Stop being so mean to me or I'll tell my brother and he will beat you up!"

Raiden held back his smile as he blocked out the child's yells. He looked down at the small 7 year old, his heart softening as he looked into her exotic dark blue eyes that she got from her mother, except do to her element of water she had bright blue splashes in them. Her black hair was wild on her head and covered in dirt due to their training. He was showing her how to fight with swords and kept knocking it out of her tiny hands when she wasn't looking. She was such a fire cracker.

He remembered the first time he laid eyes on her. He was woken up do to frantic activity among the palace and quickly went into action. He went to the hospital wing where he knew the Queen was having her child and got their just as the baby was delivered.

The Queen held her child, than the King, than Makoto, and then Raiden. He looked down at the little baby, his eyes wide and soft. The Queen was right, the baby was indeed a she and Raiden was stunned as the baby girl opened her beautiful eyes. His face was the first thing she saw and he was the first to stare into her unique eyes. He had never seen a child so beautiful.

She reached her tiny hand up and touched his face, warmth spreading throughout his whole body by the simple contact. He blinked in confusion as he and the baby girl were surrounded by a golden light, a light that only swallowed the two of them.

"What is this magic?" Raiden questioned, holding the baby protectively to his chest as he turned his attention to their King.

"He is your protector Katsumi. There is not much I can do."

Raiden turned his attention to Makoto, snapping out of his flashback as his friend approached them with a large grin on his face.

"Brother! You're back!" Katsumi squealed, quickly forgetting her anger and running to her brother.

Makoto smiled over at Raiden before scooping his sister up in his long arms.

"Raiden was just showing me how to fight with swords like he does. He was being an ass!"

Makoto burst out in laughter at his little sister's language that she had learned, courtesy of his own rotten mouth. Raiden narrowed his eyes in disapproval but was none the less smirking in amusement.

"Katsumi, watch your mouth!"

The trio turned their attention towards the soft but stern voice.

Katsumi clung on to her brother tighter as she eyed her angry mother who had her arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"Sorry Mama," Katsumi said softly, her eyes big and watery though she always refused to cry.

She was destined to be a strong warrior. That much was for certain.

The Queen sighed, her eyes softening as she approached her children.

"I am happy you are back my son. Your father is very sick. We have a month."

Raiden averted his eyes, his sadness matching their own for they are the only family he had ever known.

"Will someone please tell me what is wrong with Papa? Is he dying?"

Three sets of eyes turned to the overly observant little girl. Her eyes were sad but not in the least bit confused. She knew of death.

"Yes. He is sick," Raiden said softly, knowing that neither Makoto nor the Queen will answer.

"Than I need to keep training so I can defend our land and Papa's honor," she said as she blinked away her tears and struggled to get out of her brothers arms.

Makoto turned his eyes to Raiden's, sadness and pain clear in his expression. Raiden knew how close to his father Makoto was. He looked up to him and now his little sister will barely be able to remember the great man that he was.

The Queen turned her back to the men, tears flowing down her cheek as she went back into the palace, her navy gown blowing in the constant wind that their home always had. This was hard for everyone but it was Makoto who had to take his fathers place and in Raiden's mind he had it worst. He would be the King of their land and Raiden knew how much his friend wanted to just get away from his Royal blood but now he would be forever bound to this place.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Raiden watched with blank eyes as the young woman fought with more elegance and grace than he had ever seen. She had two swords in each hand and was easily laying the grown men out without a sweat. She was clever and much quicker.

"That is enough Katsumi," Raiden spoke calmly, though deep inside he was proud of her and the progress she had made.

"You were wonderful my lady. Your control was inspiring."

Katsumi beamed at her opponents before making her way over to Raiden.

His expression remained blank but as he watched her walked towards him, her hips swinging with every step as her breast bounced with her cat like steps he found himself desiring her. He had never noticed before now how much she had grown. She was a woman by demon terms, but to him she was still that little girl. How can he desire her in such a sinful way?

"Your father would be very proud of you," he said stiffly.

She looked up at him, her eyes a little let down as a frown tugged on her lips. He almost frowned in return but kept his face stoic.

"Are you proud?"

Raiden was taken back and physically took a step back from her. She had never asked him that and her voice was soft and slightly nervous. Was she scared that she didn't have his approval? Why would she care?

"You did well."

Raiden felt the weight in his heart lighten as she smiled brightly at him and grabbed his hand like she often did when he did something that she liked. Women were strange.

"Will you please tell me today how you came to live here?" Katsumi asked hopefully, yet he always told her no ever time that she had asked in the past.

He sighed, "Your brother saved me from a life of thievery and brought me here. The people still fear me for what I am. They think I will betray the royal family and don't understand why I am so close to you when I am trash."

Katsumi stopped walking and looked up at Raiden with disapproving eyes. She looked appalled.

"You have protected my brother, fought for our land, and you have protected me and taught me how to fight and protect myself. I trust you more than I trust myself Raiden. I love you."

Raiden's eyes grew just as wide as Katsumi's who was now beat red. Raiden quickly recovered and soon after Katsumi did as well.

"You know, I was around you most my whole life. You're like family," she said calmly, though Raiden could hear the strain in her words.

She was young though, what did she know of love? What did he know of love? He had never loved another being in this world. But as one of the soldiers of their army pulled the young woman away, Raiden narrowed his dark eyes at the young blonde demon in hatred. That surly got the demon moving. Raiden smirked.

~~W~W~~W~~

"Katsumi!"

Raiden growled in annoyance, his eyes meeting Makoto's who looked just as annoyed.

"Blaize, what the hell is wrong with you?" Katsumi questioned, but she was smiling and looked rather happy to have her friend around.

"Your little prissy girl of a boyfriend is looking for you. He looks troubled. Seriously, break up with that asshole."

Raiden snorted, always amused when the magical fire elemental was in the room. She was Katsumi's best friend and he had watched the two girls grow up together. They were complete opposites.

"Excuse my language your highness," Blaize said sarcastically as she turned her attention to Makoto sitting on his thrown.

"You're excused...fire crotch."

"Makoto!" Katsumi screeched, jumping out of her chair to punch her older brother in the head, not holding backs since she knew he could handle it.

Makoto burst out in laughter, always loving to push people's buttons. It was his favorite past time. Raiden just sighed, being the calm one all of the sudden. Shouldn't that be their King? Instead he acted like a child. That was why Raiden was his second in command. Nothing would ever get done if it was up to Makoto.

Katsumi stomped away from the conference room, her black pants and shirt clinging to her beautiful body as she shook her head in irritation. Raiden found that it was becoming hard to resist her allure. He had distanced himself from her and she had seemed very bothered by it. After all, she had been with him since she was a baby. He was her protector and that was what he was trying to do. He was bound to her by magic.

"You desire her."

Raiden turned his eyes to his friend and managed to keep them blank.

"Blaize is immature and loud."

Makoto turned his knowing eyes to the cold half-breed.

"I was not speaking of Blaize. You desire my sister and you have my consent. I would not trust her with anyone else but you and I hate her with that boy she's with now. He is weak."

Raiden was shocked. He had never expected that he would be viewed as good enough for Katsumi. She was royalty and he was trash.

"I agree with my son."

The men turned their attention to the door way where they saw the Queen. Well, she wasn't quite the Queen anymore but she took the reins when Makoto left to do god knows what. Of course Raiden knew it was to see his male lover. He was forbidden however to mate with the demon. If his father were still alive Makoto would have been forced to find a wife long before he ruled their lands.

"Raiden, you are a respectful and strong demon. You will protect my daughter with your life and I can see the love you two have for each other," she spoke softly, a smile on her still youthful face even though her eyes were sad and worn.

She had yet to recover from the Kings death. How could you after thousands of years of being with someone?

Raiden closed his eyes, confused and feeling things that he had never felt before. This was all so new to him. He hated it.

He left the room in a hurry, the need to be alone stronger than ever as he made his way outside. The Sun was setting and the castle grounds were almost barren.

"You want to end our relationship? Katsumi, are you serious?"

"Yes. I don't love you."

"Who the hell is talking about love?"

"Dude, you are such a fucking prick. She said that she's done with you so why don't you go cry to your fucking mama you wussy!"

Raiden rolled his eyes as he made his way towards the voices.

"Blaize, keep out of this. Its not like I was dating you freak."

"Whoa, who are you calling freak you dick sucker. When you joined the army I was there, Jack and I watched you suck another recruit's dick. If you want to go right now bring it on!"

Katsumi laughed, "Blaize I don't need your input."

"Well, you're too nice about it."

"Whatever. You're just a prissy princess. I'm gone!"

"Good riddance!"

Raiden stopped walking when the two female came into view. Blaize was laughing with a bottle of sake in her and Katsumi was shaking her head and chuckling lightly at her obviously drunk friend.

"Does your mother know you've gotten into her personal storage again?"

Both females jumped and spun around in his direction.

"No she does not. On that note I got to go!" Blaize said oddly calm before smiling in mischief and running off.

"She's a hand full," Katsumi told him lightly before turning her back to him and watching the remainder of the day disappear.

"Is love really so rare that people don't even bother to wish for it anymore?"

Raiden frowned as a blurry image of his mother and elemental father came forth from somewhere deep within his mind. His mother was dark in her features and his father was light. They had found love within one another despite the risk that it entailed. They had paid the price for following their hearts.

What was he to tell her though? That love only resulted in pain and death –that it only caused weakness for enemies to take advantage of?

"Never mind, I know it's a silly question. My parents loved each other so I think there is still hope. Maybe I will get lucky someday."

She didn't turn around and look at him but her words were all that was needed in order to make him wonder if she was hinting something. This was his chance to see if he was losing his mind or if he was actually developing feelings for her.

He turned away from her, his eyes closed as he shook his head lightly.

"Maybe someday you will find a suitable woman for you Raiden," she said softly –a sad undertone apparent yet he did not say a thing.

Instead he walked away.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Come on Katsumi, I know you better than you know yourself."

"You are my best friend, not my clone."

"Oh shut up. You love him, you dream of him, you trust him with your life."

"As far as I know, that is due to our bond which we only have because I am the daughter of the Royal family."

"Ha. You're just as bad as him."

Raiden froze in his position. He was going down the stone hallway towards Katsumi's room. Makoto had just gotten back and had heard that there were renegade demons that were planning on ambushing the kingdom. Katsumi helps him with their army so he was coming to brief her. He wasn't expecting to hear this conversation however.

"You are helpless Kat. He is perfect for you and if you don't go to him he will never come to you."

Raiden stepped back into the shadows, the bat in him allowing the shadows to engulf his whole being and protect him like a shadowed blanket.

Blaize walked out, her short red hair sticking in random crazy directions. She was wearing only a wrapping around her upper torso and it showed the bright blue tattoo on her back that resembled out of control fire. She continued to mumble to herself angrily as she turned a corner.

Raiden stepped out of the shadows and quietly peeked into Katsumi's room. She was sitting on her bed, her gaze unfocused as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Hello Raiden," she said softly, always so aware of the people around her even when they mask their scent.

"Makoto has returned," he said in his normal monotone voice.

She sat up, her loose midnight hair flowing over her shoulder gracefully.

"There is trouble," she said calmly, somehow knowing what he was going to say.

She was a very intuitive woman.

"Yes. Rogue demons plan on attacking our kingdom."

She nodded, her eyes guarded in a way that was far beyond her age and her face was hard like stone. He couldn't believe how much she had changed while he was away from her. How did she become so...cold?

"We should get together our troops then conjure up a plan that we will present to Makoto."

"Yes," she said simply, her small curvy body standing up with more grace than a feline.

Raiden lingered for a moment, finding that he wanted to talk to her about anything, everything, as long as he could continue to watch her.

Katsumi glanced up, a white shirt in her hand as she stood their in baggy black pants that were low on her hips and wrapping around her upper torso.

Raiden had to fight to keep his gaze from showing that her cold unfeeling demeanor was unnerving him. What happened to that determined young woman he saw only a year ago? Without a word he turned around and left the room. For once he felt like he no longer he knew her and it was his fault. All of the years gone by and he was still just as selfish as ever.

~~W~~W~~W~~

He watched her toss and turn, her whimpers clear to his sensitive ears. He has stood by her door for hours, watching and wishing that he could help. Someone had snuck into the Kingdom and assassinated the Queen while she was walking around the town. Katsumi had been suffering far worst than she should be. Her health was at risk mentally and physically.

Makoto had told him that it was retaliation for fending off the rouge demons and killing more than half. It was a warning and things were about to get bad. Katsumi was having the worst of it. It didn't help that Makoto had been acting strange. Something was amiss.

The next morning Raiden awoke to the feeling of anger but it wasn't his own. Katsumi was pissed off and she was sending it directly to Raiden, purposely. He wasted no time and within seconds he was entering the conference room, a look of annoyance on his face as his dark eyes zeroed in on the new figure in the room.

"Tell that asshole that he can't do this to me Raiden! I'm perfectly fine."

Raiden's eyes softened as he turned towards Katsumi. Her eyes were shadowed over and she looked like she hadn't slept in years. She was thinner than normal and her skin had lost its golden glow. She looked like death.

"Raiden, this is the Prince of Spirit World. He is in need of an assassin and thought that Katsumi would be perfect for the job. It will help if you get away from here for awhile Katsumi," Makoto said gently as he turned back to his sister, but Raiden noticed that slight worry in Makoto's eyes.

"I have seen you fight Katsumi, you are quick, precise, and don't take joy in the kill. It's not personal with you and that is what I need."

Raiden turned his attention back to the stranger. He was in the form of a teenager it appeared, but the binky was an interesting accessory.

Katsumi looked helpless and fragile as she stood there with no say in her choices.

"It is Katsumi's choice on what she does Makoto. Perhaps we should all discus this another time. Allow her to think it over," Raiden said calmly, but inside he was tormented.

"That is fine with me," Koenma said kindly, his eyes soft as they looked over at the demoness.

Makoto sighed, "Of course."

"Come," Raiden held out his hand and Katsumi wasted no time in hurrying over to him.

He wrapped one of his wings around her in habit to protect her. He did it when they walked through the town and to this day he still does when he is suspicious. Right now it was of her brother and his own long time friend. Makoto wanted Katsumi far away from here. The question was why.

Raiden kept his thoughts to himself as he led her back to her room. She kept her eyes down like she was ashamed of the way she has been handling her mother's death. He watched her stumbled to her bed and crawl in, her empty wide eyes blank as she laid their quietly.

"Raiden...come lay with me," her tired voice whispered.

He stumbled over himself for a moment, not truly believing what he was hearing.

He slowly walked over to her small form on the bed, and strangely enough he thought about the fact that he was only in a pair of pants. Right now wasn't the time to be modest though.

Her eyes met his and he was taken back by the fire and determination in the icy depths despite her defeated voice.

"What is it that you want from me Katsumi?" he whispered softly, his head shaking slightly as he tried to comprehend her actions and words.

She got up on her knees and suddenly her warm lips consumed his with so much need, sadness and love that he nearly fell over from all of the emotions she was sending him.

"I want you to make me feel something other than pain and heartache."

And he did.

~~W~~W~~W~~

They went together. They explored the Makai together and did Koenma's bidding's together. Makoto was right in saying the Katsumi leaving would help her and Makoto had also told Raiden to go with her since she had never left their Kingdom before. He was right again, but Makoto was trying very hard to keep them away. He was desperate to get them to leave and that was years ago.

He told them not to return no matter what in a letter that was sent by Blaize who was also told not to come back. Raiden didn't tell Katsumi that bit of information and neither did Blaize. She told Katsumi that she was bored without her there and things were starting to get a little too crazy.

Makoto was smart but somewhere along the way his brain had failed him and had gotten him in trouble -Deep trouble. Raiden knew that Katsumi could feel it but she never pressed the matter and never asked to go back.

Blaize told him that their people were getting murdered but it was by the citizens. Whoever Makoto pissed off must be an expert at mind control or something similar. Raiden had to fight the urge to go back single day since then.

During one of their jobs for Koenma, Raiden had taken out a spider demon and cut off a chunk of his hair. It was a rare breed of spider demon and their hair had been used for many things over the years. Raiden decided to make Katsumi a choker in hopes that it would cheer her up. She was missing her brother dearly and while nothing could make her forget her brother, he just wanted to see her smile again.

"Oh Raiden, this is beautiful," she whispered as her face broke out in the most beautiful smile he had ever seen and it felt like years since his heart felt as warm as her smile made it.

Not even caring about who might see, he took her right then and there with every intention of starting a family with his mate.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"Jeeze Kat, you're fat as hell."

Raiden snorted as he popped some bread in his mouth. Blaize was still the same no matter how many years have passed.

"Thanks Blaize. You looked great to," Katsumi replied sarcastically as she shot Raiden a quick playful glare.

Raiden smiled one of his rare smiles before returning to his meal. Blaize had required her own home once she was done exploring and due to Katsumi's condition she no longer worked for Koenma. Katsumi wanted to seek out Blaize and she had offered them a room in her small house. Raiden was glad that she had not requested to go home to her brother. He didn't want her getting caught up in his foolish decisions, whatever that may be.

One night Raiden was standing out in the fresh air, thinking of everything that had happened in his long life time. He knew it was right of him to be here with Katsumi, but he should be helping Makoto. After all, it was Makoto who saved his life and gave him a better one.

However he had a duty to Katsumi, as her mate and protector. She was due to have their child within the next few weeks. How could he leave her? How could he even be thinking of leaving her when he may not return?

"I heard from Makoto."

Raiden stiffened as he turned towards the house. Blaize was serious somber as she looked up at him.

"I don't know what he did Raiden but he is in some serious shit."

Raiden closed his eyes, his inner battle starting to get dangerous as the wind began to pick up due to his conflicting thoughts.

"You want to go save him," Blaize said as she nodded her bright red head in understanding.

Raiden didn't reply for a moment but as a swarm of thoughts crowded his overworking brain a sudden thought hit him.

"He had a gay lover. He would sneak off and leave me behind so people would think he was still there."

Blaize took in a sharp breath, quickly catching on to his train of thought.

"Holy shit. You think that this lover of his might...have been a trick to get the kingdom or something?"

"Or he became jealous that they had to sneak around and could not be mates due to the law."

Both demons grew silent, finally seeing just how serious this situation was and how much Makoto was in danger. He had gone to great measures to keep them safe and away from danger. Too bad they were about to go back into what he fought to keep them from.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Katsumi's eyes were wide and angry.

"How could you not tell me all of this? I knew...but I never asked because I thought you would let me know if it was bad."

"We didn't come to full realization until last night Kat. We're telling you now and that's what matters."

Raiden stayed silent, still conflicted like he was the night before. It felt wrong to walk into danger but he couldn't just let Makoto die. How did he know Makoto wasn't dead already?

Katsumi said, "We're going to go save him then," as she slowly got up from the table they were sitting at.

"You're not going anywhere. You're going to contact Koenma and go into protection."

Katsumi narrowed her eyes dangerously but right as she was going to give him a piece of her mind there was a large crash. He heard Blaize scream as she flew towards the wall and slumped to the floor. Then Raiden was out cold before he could even form a coherent thought. The last he heard was screaming; Katsumi screaming.

His eyes snapped open and he had to blink a few time to realize he was looking at what used to be their lively kingdom. Where children used to play and the demons would shop was nothing but demolished ruble. It was completely barren. All of the ancient magical demons were slaughtered, and by their own hands.

"Raiden."

Makoto, he heard Makoto. He looked around franticly but his movement was restricted. When Raiden looked down he found that a spell had been set on him. His energy was tied up inside of his body and he couldn't move. It was like weights were tied on every part of his muscle.

"Amos, I didn't know he was so powerful. I didn't…"

Raiden finally spotted the sorrowful demon. He looked horrible. He was directly to his right and only a foot from himself. He was naked and covered in blood from head to toe due to deep gashes throughout his whole body. He had been like this for months and Raiden could tell by how shrunk this body had become.

"Katsumi?" Raiden whispered.

A tear fell down Makoto's bloodied cheek as he directed his attention in front of him. Raiden followed his gaze and roared out in anger and sorrow.

Her breathing was shallow and her body in the same condition as Makoto's. She was bare, beaten and her face was scrunched up in pain.

"Ah, now that you're up I can finally get on with the show," said a silky deep voice.

Raiden growled as he turned his soulless eyes to the reason of the voice. The man was rather short with long golden hair and bright blue eyes. He was smiling in joy and excitement, a long dagger in his hand.

"Amos, please," Makoto pleaded which was nothing like the ruthless demon Raiden had grown to know. What had come of his friend while they were away?

Amos chuckled before he knelt down beside Katsumi.

"A woman is disgusting when pregnant. Not to mention the affects it has on the body," and then the knife went right into her stomach and Katsumi screamed as tears fell from eyes.

Raiden roared in anger as he fought with all of his strength. Makoto was howling and was no doubt fighting just as much as he was. But neither of them could break free from this demons mental hold and they both closed their eyes in pain as Amos entered her while he continued to carve in her stomach. Raiden could smell death and it was of their unborn baby.

"I didn't know. I didn't know," Makoto kept chanting again and again but Raiden wasn't listening.

"All I wanted was to be with you Makoto -to rule the land with you and be with you always. You didn't even tell me about this delicious sister of yours. This is your punishment for not telling me when you claimed you loved me. Guess you always loved her more huh?" Amos said sarcastically before he got up and left but the sobbing of Katsumi didn't ease up.

"Katsumi?" Raiden whispered.

"Shh-la-duh-bam-la-ick tah."

"Katsumi, what are you doing?" Makoto whispered and for the first time Raiden realized just how close to death his friend was.

"Nah-loo-tash-ino."

"I'm back my love. I hope you didn't miss me too much," Amos said as she crouched down beside her bloodied form.

Raiden would have growled but he was too interested in Katsumi's quiet chanting. He knew that she was a magical demon but he had never seen her kind actually do magic. Not even Makoto.

Amos quickly turned his attention from Makoto to Katsumi who was starting to glow a dark blue.

"What the hell?" he squealed as his body began sag like it would in old age.

"Amazing what age can do to a body," Katsumi choked out as his body became frail and his tan became pale with a sickly green color mingling in.

His bright blue eyes became crooked and his hair fell out in chunks. He looked like walking bones and saggy skin. He looked repulsive.

"What did you do to me?" he squeaked, his velvet voice gone.

"I showed you you're true from," she whispered before she began to glow once more. This time Makoto was glowing with her. Raiden shot up off of the ground, Amos too distracted to concentrate on pinning him down.

He punching Amos as hard as he could in his nasty face and just when he was going to rip out his throat Amos disappeared, leaving nothing besides their demolished kingdom to show of his presents.

Raiden turned around and met Katsumi's eyes. They were sad and full of so much pain that he fell to his knees beside her.

"We will not die. We will be born again in my reincarnation and Makoto will be with me. We will get free and finish Amos together, but when the time comes my love, you must not tell me who I am and what we had."

Raiden could only nod as he watched her slowly fade before him, the blue light of magic taking her and Makoto somewhere to wait. She smiled weakly, tears falling from her eyes until she was completely gone, no trace of her and Makoto in sight.

He was the only one left in the destroyed kingdom and alone he would be until she once again returned, but unlike her he will have to forever carry this memory and their love with him. He will wait until she returns and they will kill Amos, and then he will find peace in death.


	22. Chapter 21

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 21: Reality of Dreams**

Both demons were frozen in place as they stared at one another. This bad situation was turning even worst as the seconds went by. How were they to get out of this and get out with everyone alive?

"If you choose to not fight to the death than Rin here will do the dying for you and believe me –I'm itching to end her life. She's already on brink of it and I set something special up for her because of what she did to me -and what she took from me."

Makoto's eyes glazed over as he looked towards the thing that used to be his lover -The worst mistake of his life.

"What did she take from you Amos? I was there, she took nothing."

Amos roared out in anger, his insanity showing itself for a split second before he was once again calm and still.

"None of that matters Makoto. The deeper she falls under the closer she gets to complete insanity and the closer she gets until she is my slave. Now fight."

Makoto and Yusuke faced one another, their eyes narrowed before they nodded. It was the only way. One of them must die in order to save everyone else.

Makoto thought about attacking Amos head on but knew from experience that Amos was too powerful with mind manipulation. If only he could get ahold of him...

They were a quick blur as they circled one another, there eyes blank of any emotion that most would have been there if they were told to kill a friend. A long time ago Yusuke would have argued and refused but age has shown him many things.

Sometimes you have to make a sacrifice in order to save the bigger picture and Makoto was no child. He was thousands of years old and even Yusuke could see the guilt that the demon held because of their situation.

Yusuke charged forward, his fist almost touching Makoto's nose. Makoto grabbed Yusuke's arm and flung him across the arena like he was a rag doll. That didn't keep Yusuke down for long and he was soon throwing a series of punches, only a quarter of them actually making contact though they did no damage.

Makoto was older, stronger and much more experienced but they both knew how this was supposed to end. They were just entertaining Amos for a bit in hopes that one of them could think of a way to get to him without him noticing.

They zoomed around each other, punching, blocking, kicking, and more serious than the two were known for being. Finally Yusuke punched Makoto so hard in the stomach that he flew off of his feet and landed in a crater that Yusuke had made earlier.

Makoto jumped out and landed in a low crouch. His long hair was loose and hung down his back in soft waves. The two demons smiled slightly in fare well before Yusuke lifted his finger.

"Spirit Gun!"

~~W~~W~~W~~

Hiei ran quickly through the forest, his sword out and bloody. He was searching for something. He had to find it. He had to if it meant the searing in head would lessen up.

He took to the trees, hopping from branch to branch without making a noise or missing a step. His shirtless body was covered in blood that he didn't remember spilling. He didn't remember much of anything. All he knew was he needed to find whatever it is that's haunting him so.

Eyes -Exotic colored blue eyes. That was what he was searching for.

Hiei stopped moving as he swayed on his branch, dizzy and confused by the eyes that were flashing through his head. Who did they belong to? Why was he searching for them? Why did they look scared? And why the hell did he care in the first place?

Hiei looked to the demon world sky, taking in the red and purple that colored it. His eyes narrowed as he breathed in the smell but it was all wrong.

The smell of death and decay that this world held smelled...artificial. On the first whiff you couldn't tell the difference. When you glance at the sky it looked normal. But if you looked more closely and sniffed more carefully you can tell the difference and Hiei was no fool.

The sky looked faded and almost washed out. There were random splotches of black that the fire demon actually had to strain to notice.

Then he held up his sword and sniffed the blood that coated its metallic surface. Despite its appearance of being there for awhile it gave off no smell. He slid his finger across the blade and stuck his blood covered finger in his mouth. It had no taste.

He had no idea what was going on and where he was but he was not in his home. This place, it wasn't real. Had someone captured him and was more powerful than his Jagon eye?

Yes, that is the only explanation.

With a grunt Hiei took off once more, but this time in a different direction. He finally stopped and left the trees to enter an open field that was shaded by trees. Something had led him to this place.

"Hiei?"

~~W~~W~~W~~

Kurama knew automatically he was not in the real demon world. As always the fox demon was a step ahead of his opponent, and though he was hoping that the plant he consumed would not allow him to not fall under Amos's influence, being able to remember it was the next best thing.

Kurama, in his Youko form, ran through the trees in hopes that he would figure out how to get out of this. He had not come across one demon or even one animal, though there were sounds of birds and rustling of things that actually weren't there.

Kurama slowed as he entered a clearing, taken by surprise at the figure that was also in the clearing.

"Hiei?"

The fire demon turned around, blood covering his form. Kurama didn't budge when the fire demons sword pressed against his throat.

"Hiei, I am the real Kurama."

Hiei narrowed his eyes, "Hn, how do I know that?"

"You don't," Kurama answered back simply, staring Hiei right in his cold eyes with his stern golden ones.

Hiei's mouth tightened as he took a step back, but his sword was still pointed at the fox demon.

"What is going on fox? This is not the Makai."

Kurama was only slightly surprised that Hiei could tell the difference, but that just went to show how strong Hiei's Jagon was for something that wasn't natural. Not to mention that Amos was getting tired with putting so many people under.

Kurama was sure that Amos must have some kind of help because he should have drained himself by now. He was just getting sloppy and the fox knew that Amos had never meant to send the two demons to the same place.

Kurama told Hiei everything that he felt the fire demon should know. Hiei looked skeptical but found that he wasn't in a position to be stubborn and prideful. Kurama was careful of the details, knowing that any mention of something against Hiei's normal personality would make him think he was lying.

"Who is the one with the multi colored eyes?" Hiei questioned -his eyes empty but Kurama knew better.

"That is Rin. She is the one that Amos is after."

Hiei was silent for a moment, his eyes unfocused and his body still.

"How do we get to her?"

Kurama fought the smile that threatened to creep up on his face. Right now was not time to tease the demon for how soft his heart had become since he met the young half demon. Or course the Hiei in front of him didn't remember anything outside of what Kurama had told him and even then the fire demon cared for her.

"We don't. We are stuck here until Amos is killed. There is no way out. Even with your Jagon eye," Kurama said simply, not liking their helplessness but not showing the impatience and anger that was coursing through his veins.

The two demons went silent as they sat and waited. Something neither of them were use to. What ever Yusuke, Kuwabara and Koenma have planned, Kurama hoped it would all unfold soon.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Rin fought to keep the annoyance and anger off of her face as she waited for the boy her age to make his order. He was clearly just giving her a hard time.

"I think I will get the cowboy burger with extra barbecue sauce and extra fries with a side salad. I want bacon bits and chicken in that as well. Oh and give me some ranch dressing and I also need a refill of Dr. Pepper. No wait, make that a Sprite."

Rin met his dark brown eyes. He was chewing gum really noisily as he smirked up at her. She simply just turned around, not caring about the tip she knew she wouldn't get anyway. He was the same boy who made her life hell before she got out of the public school. He came here and sat at her table just to continue making her life hell. Some people have no life.

She took his and his girl friends order to the cook who watched the whole thing through his window that the waitresses came to so he could get their orders.

"I'll get him for you sweetheart. He'll find something more on his burger than barbecue sauce."

Rin blushed slightly and found that she actually hoped he was serious.

Instead she said, "Don't worry about it Al."

He narrowed his aged dark eyes at her, his black dread locks that were tied back swung slightly as he shook his head.

Al was a middle aged black man who was one of the most genuine guys Rin had met in her life. Of course she hardly knew anyone beside her brother, but Al knew what it was like to be judged and looked down on by society -All due to his color and sexuality.

"You are too sweet darling," was the last he said before he returned to cooking.

A few hours later it was time for Rin to leave and she couldn't leave fast enough. Dealing with people was not her thing but she was good at pretending and that was what she did.

She walked slow as the cold breeze blew her bright hair around her. Her purple sweater and jeans didn't protect her against the coolness in the air but she didn't mind. She rather enjoyed the icy feel.

After 20 minutes she reached her brother's small house and entered after fumbling around with her keys for a moment. It was starting to become dark and though she loved to wonder around in the night her brother was overly protective at times.

"Draven, I'm home!" Rin called as she through her keys on the round table by the door.

There was rustling around for a moment before her brother descended down the stairs, his hair messy and his eyes devilish.

"Oh sheesh, another one his week Draven?" Rin scolded, truly annoyed and disgusted by her perverted brother.

"Please go to your room while I get my guest out of here," he order, his black eyebrow raising as he stared down at his innocent younger sister.

"Gladly," Rin mumbled as she took the stairs two at a time and walked in her room without looking at anything else.

She didn't want to risk seeing her brothers...human blow up doll.

Rin groaned in disgust as she stripped off her clothing and hopped in bed. She was too tired to care that it was only in the late afternoon. She fell into a light slumber and dreamed of crimson eyes.

When she awoke it was 7 in the morning. She laid in the warmth of her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she allowed her thoughts to carry her away. Those red eyes kept flashing through her mind almost like...a reminder? Who does she know that has eyes like that -Eyes so cold and such an odd color? Maybe they were an albino.

When the hell had she met an albino?

She sighed as she got out of her bed and put on pink basket ball shorts and a white t-shirt that was way too big for her.

She exited her room, descended down the stairs and found that her nose was very happy with the aroma of bacon and eggs staining the house.

"My, my, look who managed to get up this morning," Rin teased as she took in the sight of her brother making breakfast.

"Work," he said simply as he turned around and put her plate on the table.

They said nothing as they ate. Her brother was concentrating on the news paper and Rin was trying to figure out why this homey moment felt wrong.

After breakfast her brother left and Rin went to go get ready for her job. She showered and then put on the black collared shirt that had "Paul's Steakhouse" written on the left breast.

The walk to work was normal, slow and boring. Rin kept having the feeling that something wasn't right. Nothing seemed out of place. Everyone and everything looked normal and no one gave her any unwanted attention. It was her everyday life.

When she reached work she found that the breakfast group were a little on the rowdy side. She hated Saturdays.

"Oh, he ate the smothered steak."

Rin froze as she was passing by one of the tables to go take some newcomers orders.

Something about that sentence bothered her. He ate the smothered steak...he ate...he...

"Rin, order up!" Al called from the kitchen.

Rin shook her head and then went to go get her order. She would think about why those two words made her act so strangely later. Like when she didn't have to be an upbeat waitress

Finally Rin made it to the newcomers and once again got the same creepy feeling. The one that made her think something was wrong and that everything was...she wanted to say fake.

"Shut up Jake! I could totally beat you down!"

"Yeah right doofus."

"Please you two, we're in a public place."

"Whatever," the two boys who were arguing said in unison.

The one called Jake had slick back black hair and big brown eyes that looked bored and uncaring that he was making a scene. The guy he was arguing with had bright orange hair and beady black eyes. He looked a little embarrassed that people were looking. The one who broke them up was a handsome man with long red hair and bright green eyes, he looked apologetic.

"Hey, are you going to take our order or stare?" the one called Jake yelled rudely.

He was obviously having a bad day.

"What the hell do you want?" Rin replied rudely, but her voice was calm and level.

Jake looked startled before he smiled what some people would call a shit eaten grin smile.

"I would like the biggest steak you got and a lot of fries with a coke."

Rin wrote it down before she turned to his buddy sitting next to him.

"I would like the same thing mam," he said politely.

Rin decided she liked him the most.

"I would just like a salad with water. Can I also have a side of lemons as well?"

Rin smiled at the most handsome of the trio. And the most mature. Scratch that, she liked him the most.

"I sure can."

And then she turned to look beside the red head. They happen to of gotten the shaded table and the figure sitting next to him seemed to strangely be engulfed in the shadow.

The only thing she could see was the bright red eyes that were staring her down intensely. It was the same eyes she dreamed of.

The red head smiled polity before saying, "He ate already. We forced him to come with us."

He ate...he...he-aye?

"Okay. Your order will be here shortly," Rin whispered before turning on her heel and practically running to the kitchen.

She could have sworn she had seen those boys before...but from where? -And what about their mystery friend? What hell was going on?

When Rin turned back towards the table she nearly started crying in confusion and fear. The boys were replaced by four collage kids. Where the mystery guy sat was now lit up and the figure was clear. He was just a normal guy with sandy blonde hair and a lanky build.

The collage guys turned in her direction at the same time, making Rin freeze in her spot. Her eyes grew wide when slowly all of the customers turned their heads in her direction. The waitresses and waiters stopped in their tracks and turned to look at her as well.

Before Rin could even think about why they were staring she shot out of the door -their heads following her movement but none of them moving to follow her.

Her hysteria was raised even more when the people on the side walk stopped to watch her run by. Their heads followed her every movement. She ran as fast as she could, fear fueling her to run faster than she had her whole life.

By the time she reached her house the sky was turning different colors and the clouds were turning black. Her house looked like clay that was melting on one side. She paused as she looked for the courage to go inside. Finally she walked in and was met by her brothers back.

"Draven? You're supposed to be at work," Rin whispered, suspicion and fear leaking through her words.

"I got off early," he said calmly as he turned around.

Rin screamed.

The whole right side of his body was melted and the left side was drooping like old skin. There was a nasty pile of goo around his feet.

"Why are you screaming? What's wrong?" he questioned, but his voice didn't sound like it normally did. He was mocking her.

"You killed me," he whispered before he fell into a puddle on the ground.

Rin cried and screamed, never having been this scared in her life before.

"Rin, if you value your life you will come with me -Now!"

Rin looked up and saw a woman with long black hair and multi colored blue eyes. She had dark tattoos on one side of her body and wore black fighting cloths. She looked strangely familiar but right now was not the time to figure out why.

Before Rin could even make up her mind she leaped at the woman and grabbed her hand.

When Rin opened up her eyes they were at a dark beach. The wind comforted the fear and soothed her with the familiarity it gave her.

"Katsumi, oh my god, what was that?" Rin questioned as she fought to keep her hysteria at bay.

Now that Rin was not in Amos's influence anymore she could remember her real life that he had made her forget. Hiei -She was thinking of him every time she heard someone say "he ate". She giggled slightly, her brain so fried and confused that she was sure she was completely insane now.

Katsumi looked at her softly for a moment before turning away from her.

"He trapped you in your everyday life before your brother and parents died."

Rin thought it over, an insane smile on her lips though her eyes were full of tears.

"Why was everyone staring at me and melting?"

Katsumi kept her eyes on the ocean and even though she looked distracted she said, "Your subconscious was warning you and fighting against Amos's hold."

"I'm guessing I won."

"Yes. But you would have lost your mind if I wouldn't have gotten through to get you out. He was counting on that."

"You mean I haven't already?" Rin questioned sarcastically.

Katsumi turned towards her, her eyes cold and thoughtful.

"Rin, you can not fight off Amos. The reason you are only a B class and can't go beyond that is because we are more magical than what is normal. You don't know how to channel that yet, and when you learn you will measure up to an S class demon. That however takes a lot of time."

Rin's eyebrows rose. She had always wondered why Makoto had told her she could never move up on the totem pole.

"What do you suggest?"

Katsumi smiled a dark malevolent smile, the kind that promised chaos and revenge, "Allow me to take over temporarily. My time will be limited but that is all I need."

They stared at one another for a moment before Rin nodded.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Yusuke watched in slow motion as Makoto blew off of his feet, his whole body being swallowed by a blinding bright blue light.

"Oh, this is wonderful!" he heard Amos squeal in the background.

He was fond on Makoto and respected him greatly despite the secrets the demon keeps.

Yusuke knew Makoto had a good reason for them, but now Makoto was gone. How would Rin feel about that? Would she even want anything to do with Yusuke now?

"Shit!" Yusuke screamed as he went soaring threw the air, his arms and legs flapping until he finally landed on his face and skidded along until he ungracefully stopped.

"Long time no see Amos. Why is it that you need that ridiculous cloak? Seems a bit melodramatic don't you think?"

Rin?

He spun around and froze in confusion. The voice, it sounded like Rin but it was so icy and cold that it made his blood freeze over. Hiei would have been proud.

Her face and body were the same but while Rin was shy and stiff, this woman was relaxed and looking the source of her hatred straight on. She was oozing power and something else entirely. Yusuke had never felt anything quite like it before. It made goose bumps and the hair on his arms and neck stand up. The only thing he could describe it as was warm.

"Katsumi," Amos breathed as he took a few steps back like she was the plague.

She smiled a horrible, sinful smile as she carelessly started pulling out the tubes sticking into her body.

"I see you have been giving my reincarnation a hard time. You took everything from her like you did me, starting with her parents and then her brother. What do you get from that?"

Her voice was like listening to dry ice if it could talk. Yusuke was confused as he watched the exchange of words -Reincarnation?

"I want it back!" Amos demanded and his squeaky voice was even higher pitched than normal due to his hysteria.

Yusuke flinched as it threatened to bust his ear drums. Katsumi just smiled and almost too quickly for Yusuke to see she launched herself at her enemy and then went soaring off of the stands, heading straight down towards the arena.

"What the hell?" Yusuke screamed as he quickly scooted backwards like a spider.

The two demons fell right where he was only moments before. Yusuke examined "Katsumi" more closely. She smelled slightly different from Rin. Katsumi smelled more of the ocean and of pure demon. She was practically rolling around in power.

Either Rin was like Sensei or he was looking at who she was in her past life. Either way he decided to not get on Rin's bad side.

As the air cleared from their fall, Yusuke was rather shocked to find that "Katsumi" had Amos by the throat, squeezing to the point that he was thrashing and a sickening sound was being made. She was crushing his throat.

"Your whole kind is nothing but a big illusion. My brother only fell for it because he knew no better. I'm more magic than he is. You can't touch me like you do others. I see what's real," Katsumi whispered -her voice low and dangerous, "Another thing about your kind. You have no physical strength."

And just like that she ripped his throat out.

"Holy shit," Yusuke mumbled as he stared wide eyed at the small woman.

She was not only soaked in her own blood but now she was covered by Amos's blood. She turned to looked at Yusuke, her eyes wide and almost innocent. She really looked like the Rin he knew but he could never see Rin do something so...barbaric. She had too much of a heart.

"Brother, where are you?" she called softly, her voice now soft, feathery, and affectionate.

"Woof!"

Katsumi smiled as Yusuke turned around. He was stunned by the giant beast that now stood where Makoto had "met his death".

It was a giant wolf like creature and standing on all fours it came up to Yusuke's shoulder. His glossy coat was bright orange and his eyes a dark amber. Large dragon like wings that were a glossy black sprouted from his back. On one of his sides were the same tattoos that Makoto had.

"Makoto?" Yusuke questioned.

"Woof!"

Yusuke burst out in laughter, doubling over as he clutched his sides.

"You're a big ass dog with wings and you sound like you're a poodle when you bark!"

Makoto growled.

"Oh chill out furry," but Yusuke stopped his laughter.

He didn't sound like a poodle when he growled.

Katsumi chuckled, almost sounding happy as she approached Makoto.

"Brother, I have missed you," she whispered before she hugged him.

He was much bigger than her, as everyone is.

"Brother? Someone better tell me what the hell is going on before I start knocking skulls," Yusuke demanded.

Katsumi turned her attention to Yusuke, her eyes blank like if you were looking at a ghost.

"I am Katsumi. I lost count but before the Makia was stationed the way it is now, my family ruled an isolated area for only my kind."

Yusuke was still confused but when he went to open his mouth to ask a question, her deadly glare made his mouth snap closed. He got the feeling Katsumi didn't like to be interrupted.

"After our father's departure, Makoto was the king of our land. However he had a jealous lover who was not welcomed to the land of Gadico. He tortured us and almost killed Makoto and myself, but I did a very powerful spell at the last second that transferred us both into my reincarnation. I had to do another powerful and dangerous spell to even have one to transfer to."

Yusuke looked like a mentally ill fish that jumped out of the water thinking it was a bird.

"My kind usually doesn't have reincarnations," she said simply, like that would explain everything.

Yusuke just blinked, deciding to change the subject. "Why is Makoto a dog?"

"He took a big risk by being reborn through a spirit beast. Your spirit gun didn't actually hurt him; it just drained him enough to transform him. I believe that only happened because he was not in tip top shape."

Yusuke was slightly insulted but he was happy that he didn't kill the psychotic old bastard. He also had a feeling that Rin would be devastated and never forgive him. Now he knew why they were so bonded.

He glanced around and examined the fading colors and the melting stadium. It was the strangest sight he had seen in a long time. It was creepy as hell and reminded him of the one time he "experimented" when he was a teenager.

"We are running out of time," Katsumi stated calmly, not the least bit alarmed by the scene.

A sudden thought hit Yusuke and he almost punched himself on the head.

"Hey, what the hell did you take from Amos? I deserve to know why I am risking my ass."

Katsumi smiled as her eyes grew dark, "I took his necklace."

Yusuke fell over and his head made a big dent in the fading arena, "I was risking my life for a damn necklace!" he roared, his voice rising in pitch.

Katsumi titled her head like a dog seeing something confusing or interesting before she turned to Makoto.

"The necklace hid his true form."

Makoto whined as he turned his eyes to the ground.

"Why didn't Makoto know? You said he was King or whatever," Yusuke questioned, not quite understanding since he didn't know the whole story. He was starting to get pissed off.

"Makoto wanted freedom and I wanted knowledge. I am more magical than Makoto and he is more powerful. That is due to him being first born male and me first born female in the royal family. He couldn't see through the illusion and did not recognize the necklace."

"Why did you take it?"

Yusuke felt like he was going to bang his head on the transparent stadium. They almost looked like they were floating.

"I wanted him to suffer before I killed him."

Yusuke took that the best he could but it sounded pretty stupid to him.

"Where have you hidden it all of these years?"

She smiled she most haunting bitter smile he had ever seen. There were definitely things that he did not know.

"Where he took the most important thing from me," she said softly.

Yusuke watched in horror and disgust as she reached her bloody hand in a gash that Rin at some point had gotten on her stomach.

Katsumi had no sign of pain on her face as she pulled out a long bloody chain that was covered in her stomach parts.

Yusuke turned green as he fought to keep the vomit down.

"Please give this to Koenma. Rin will be too tired to keep it safe and she won't even realize she has it."

Katsumi held it out to him, the blood dripping from it in a steady stream. Her eyes were round and innocent despite having just pulled something out of her stomach.

She waited calmly, still as a statue as Yusuke took off his ruined shirt and wrapped it around the chain. He cleaned it the best he could before putting it in his pocket.

"Our time is up. Know that wherever you wake up it will be guarded by shields of all sorts. I believe Amos had help when he thought up this nonsensical place."

Yusuke smirked as the image blurred and faded. Katsumi got a strange look on her face as she took in Yusuke's expression. Then her observant look smoothed out like she just solved a puzzle.

The last Yusuke heard was Katsumi say, "Do not tell Rin anything you have just learned. The consequence will be dire."

He wasn't planning to.


	23. Chapter 22

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 22: It All Ends**

Five days in the Makai and they were finally close to Amos's hide out. Kuwabara could feel it within his bones, and he was happy this was almost over because the Demon World smelled bad and looked way too different.

"Are you sure this is the place?"

Kuwabara turned his exhausted eyes towards the skeptical ones of the ice demon Toya.

"Yeah, my spidy senses are tingling."

Toya narrowed his eyes before looking away. Kuwabara could have smacked himself in the head. These were demons he was talking to! What would they know about Spiderman?

"I can smell it in the air I tells you. The great smell of magic."

At least that was what Kuwabara thought the wind master Jin was saying as he sat upside down in the middle of the air. His red hair was hanging straight down, showing the extreme wiggling of his pointed ears.

Jin and Toya were helping Kuwabara through the Makai, showing him what not to go near and where the safest places to rest are. Kuwabara was in a very vulnerable state and he needed to get his task done or else everyone will die.

Since Kuwabara's real body was in the hideout that they were heading to, Kuwabara's time as a physical being was very limited. He had never realized just how powerful Koenma was and just how many ancient artifacts he had in his protection. However, the golden bracelet he had on his right wrist only gave him a body but he was weak compared to his real body. That was also why Jin and Toya were needed.

The bulky pendent around his neck on a flimsy chain was something even more powerful and confusing to the simple minded man.

They had barely rested -Kuwabara's need to rescue his friends and all of the other surviving innocents just too strong for his mind to rest. The two demons had not once complained though. After they faced each other in the Dark Tournament they all gained respect for one another.

They felt obligated to help and Chu and Rinku would be here as well if Koenma could have reached them in time.

They continued to walk in silence, their ears listening and their eyes examining their surroundings with great detail and concentration. A demon could pop out at any moment and they needed to be ready. So far they hadn't faced any problems. The Shinobi were very well known.

Kuwabara walked a few more paces until he realized that his companions had stopped walking. He turned around, their eyes staring past him blankly like they weren't seeing anything including him, who was right in their path.

"Maybe we should go back. I know a town around here that has delicious drinks." Jin said as he and Toya both turned around in sync with one another.

"Hey, fight the urge! It's just some magical barrier to keep intruders away," Kuwabara roared, quickly summoning up his spirit sword that cuts dimensions and then slicing right through the air like it was butter.

He heard Toya and Jin quit walking as he watched a see-through purple force field appear. Very slowly it started to disintegrate. Kuwabara beamed as he puffed up his chest, proud of his manly strength.

"I have never felt anything like that. It was like my whole brain shut down and was taken over by loud whispering. I couldn't resist it," whispered Toya, his voice soft and slightly strained out of anger and disbelief.

"Same here," replied Jin.

"I guess Amos wasn't planning on a human being here because I didn't feel anything except a discomfort," Kuwabara grumbled as the trio continued on their way.

"We are in the Makai and in all technicality you're inside of the hideout," Toya replied, his voice still low and irritated.

He wasn't very happy that he had fallen under Amos's influence. Kuwabara knew that he had to be strong if he could put his whole team and all of those other teams under all at once. He didn't bother telling that to Toya. Demons were prideful.

Jin just seemed intrigued and judging by his ears exited. Kuwabara rather liked the wind demon. He was more like Urameshi and much more fun than Toya. The ice demon was closer to Kurama. They talked about nerdy things.

"This is it?"

Kuwabara snapped out of this thoughts but barely heard what Toya said. He could hear the disbelief in his voice and feel his spidy senses tingling again. He knew they were there.

"What a let down," Kuwabara grumbled as they examined a normal cave.

Kuwabara knew however that bears weren't going to be their biggest threat in there.

They entered silently, keeping to the shadows of the dimly lit halls. Nothing happened.

If Kuwabara wasn't on a serious mission he would have been acting like James Bond, his fingers pointed in a fake gun and everything. Right now though, he was feeling tried and sluggish. Whatever Koenma did was wearing off fast and if they didn't find everyone soon he won't be of any help.

They turned the corner and stopped right in their places. Every human and demon that had been trapped in Amos's sick twisted game was here in this room that was dimly lit by candles. They were all tied to hospital beds, tubes sticking in random parts of their bodies.

Kuwabara gagged as he looked over the majority of dead demons. They didn't even know that none of it was real and they died. In a way, it was real simply because you could still die.

They were all blood caked, some already being attacked by bugs and they all stunk -Horribly.

It was the worst thing Kuwabara had ever seen.

Whoever had done all of this had organized the demons by teams or positions. Kuwabara walked by the first team they fought, then the team full of girls where they met Blaize and Bryce, and then they got to their own team.

"Hey, that's me!"

His real body was just sitting there with all of those creepy tubes sticking in places that made him very uncomfortable. One was even down his pants...

"Where's Makoto?"

Kuwabara glanced around before spotting a bright orange wolf with black wings on a table by Kurama.

"Could he be the random giant beast laying on the table over there?" questioned Toya.

Kuwabara just shrugged. They didn't have time for this.

"You guys go ahead and start freeing the team. Then we look for whoever is alive and free them to. Whatever is flowing through these tubes are bad. When Amos is defeated we want it to be as smooth as it can be. Who knows who might be in this cave," and then they set to work.

20 minutes later when their task was almost done, Kuwabara begin to fade out starting from his hands.

"Gah, I'm disappearing!" Kuwabara bellowed before his soul transferred back into his body.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Pain, blood, death -That was all she noticed as she slowly came to. It felt as if knifes were stabbing into her and the pain only amplified as she reached further into consciousness.

She wanted to cry out and scream but it just hurt too badly for her to even do that. What was hurting so bad?

With slow movements she peeled her eyes open and had no choice but to wait for her vision to clear. She was in a dark stone room, the air cold and moist.

She went to move but found that she was immobile. Chains jiggled loudly and cut her skin. She found that she was already raw due to the way that she was hanging from the wall.

There was nothing else around her, no weapons, no people, just barren walls and the stench of blood and death. She was assuming the blood came from her.

"Hello darling, I wasn't expecting you to awaken from your slumber. Guess my brother failed."

She stiffened, too much in pain to even turn her head and see the woman that had now entered the room.

The woman's voice was smooth, deep and almost enchanting. Rin didn't know how, but she knew it was only an illusion.

A tall woman stepped into view. Her hair was long and a deep green, her eyes a blue green that popped out of the pale flawless skin that was tight against her high cheek bones. Most would call this woman beautiful but Rin saw deeper than this woman's outer mask. She was a true monster hiding behind the face of deceitful beauty.

"I was told I can have a little fun with you, so let the games begin," the woman purred.

Rin felt all of the heat leave her body as the woman suddenly appeared in front or her, a large silver blade gleaming in the dim light and her eyes so cold and hate filled that it made Rin shake. The woman lips turned upward in a dark grin. Rin was looking at death -At least her death.

She flinched back as the woman slide a clawed hand up Rin's side, blood now dripping aggressively from the wounds on her wrist.

The woman chuckled as she roughly grabbed Rin's bare breast, and at the same time the knife carved deeply into the skin on her thigh. Rin screamed.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Raiden, Blaize, Bryce and Taro stayed in the shadows, waiting for the right time to make their move as all of the demons put under fell victim to the virus injected into their system.

Blaize had woken up first and had managed to hide her demon energy along with Raiden, Bryce and Taro since they were by her. Amos should have known better than to put them together like that. It was way too convenient since Blaize was very fluent in her magic. All thanks to Katsumi who personally taught her everything she knew.

Raiden was the second to wake up and he told her to include Taro since he could see his comrade was still breathing. He was fond of the snake demon and respected him. He would also be a great asset to their little team.

"Why is it affecting Makoto? Isn't he more powerful than you?" Bryce whispered.

Blaize snorted, "Physically, he would whoop my ass. Your lover to be is more brute strength. He is built for war and taking things head on. He doesn't need magic to enhance what is already there. The dumbass should have learned what he could from his sister though," Blaize paused as she smiled bitterly for a moment, "He has enough magic in him where things like this wont affect him if he were to strengthen it. They had fed us all a drug that is meant to make us want to kill but it usually has no effect on magical beings since we stay protected by magic down to our very blood. I do feel a little high though. Is anyone else wondering why he is a giant ass wolf?"

The three other demons shrugged before turning their attention back to the fighting going on around them.

"Hey, maybe we can get Makoto over here and I can include him in our little magic bubble," Blaize offered, her reddish brown eyes narrowing in at the golden haired Bryce.

"Where's a bubble?" questioned Taro as he looked around them but only found empty air.

"Hey, quit being a dumbass and getting distracted," Blaize growled, her eye twitching in annoyance. She turned her attention to the always quiet Raiden, "And you, you use to control an army! Why the hell aren't you strategizing, huh?"

He turned his dark eyes to her and she quickly shut up her bitching and turned back towards Bryce.

"You said that your kind can seduce anyone they desire. Can you send your pheromone to Makoto or something? He's such a horn dog he'll come running."

Blaize snorted in amusement at her little bad pun. He is a dog!

"When I ran away from my people I stopped using it in fights. It's been years but I can try. He needs to be functional even if he is a demon dog."

Bryce's golden eyes seemed to brighten to a more honey color. The three other demons shifted, feeling her sexual influence for a moment before she directed it to Makoto who was going for a random demons throat. He ripped it right out.

Right when he was about to pounce on Hiei who was too busy trying to kill Kurama, he stopped. His ears perked up and his bushy tail began to wag in happiness. He hit Hiei in the back with his giant paw before happily trotting over to their little group in the far away corner.

Hiei slammed into Kurama who slammed into a large spider demon who was about to give the killing blow to a bore demon. It was a disastrous mess and only got worst as more demons joined into the fight from different stone hallways.

Makoto stopped moving when he was about a foot from them.

"Welcome back jackass," Blaize mumbled as she glared at the dog Makoto.

He glared back before turning his attention to Bryce. He whined before licking her on the cheek.

"He needs more energy or he will stay that way until he gains it back," Raiden said, speaking for the first time since they started on their little "journey".

"Crap," Blaize mumbled as she touched his furry head and began to transfer as much energy as she could without herself suffering. She was the reason why they weren't battling it out right now.

"Here, I'll give him the rest," Bryce offered.

Blaize quickly removed her hand and let them have their crappy romance moment. She turned to Raiden.

"Where's Rin?"

Raiden closed his eyes, his head bowing as his body tensed.

"You don't know?" Blaize questioned, her face becoming pale. Rin was somewhere else and they were all infected. If Blaize were to leave than everyone else would be screwed. She was torn.

This was his back up plan, giving them specialized drugs while they slept. It was going to be a bitch to get it out of everyone's systems. And then he had to go and put Rin into a different room from them. He did it just to make them suffer.

"We need to somehow get those two over here until everyone is safe and sound. Then we need to find Rin. "

"That's going to be a problem fire-crotch. All they want is to kill along with the other 30 demons surrounding us and we can't leave your protection," Makoto said -finally back in his usual form.

"We're just going to have to do our best to remain unseen. As for our two remainders, I'll throw some fire at Hiei. That will get his attention and then he'll spot us and come to try and kill us. Since Kurama at this moment is going after Hiei he will follow. Rin...Hiei should be able to find her."

They were silent for a moment.

"That's actually smart," mumbled Taro who wasn't too fond of Blaize do to her impatient pushy attitude.

She snorted, "Duh."

She threw a ball of plan fire at Hiei.

He swung around, his crimson eyes wide and looking more like blood than usual despite his dilated pupils.

"Holy shit," Blaize mumbled, intimidated by the blood crazed gaze.

They might as well go ahead and lay down in their caskets.

"Brace yourselves," Makoto said calmly.

Hiei came towards them like a bullet, his sword by his side and ready for slicing.

Sure enough Kurama went after him, his eyes just as crazed and wild.

Realization flashed over Hiei's face right as he had pointed his sword at Blaize.

"Chill out fire boy. I just saved your life."

He lowered his sword as Kurama came running up. He stopped dead in his tracks, horror crossing over his face as his over calculating brain was cleared of the foggy rage.

"Hn, That bastard is even annoying in death," Hiei growled, his hand tightening on his sword.

"Crap man, why are you naked?" Taro yelled -his face red as he shielded his snake like eyes.

"I was a dog. Why would I need to wear pants?" Makoto replied simply, standing there with no shame and in all his glory.

"Right."

"Is Jesse here?" Kurama questioned, glancing over everyone in hopes that she was with them.

"No. I think they have a separate room for announcers and other prisoners." Blaize answered.

"Where is the other Onna?" Hiei asked coldly.

"Rin...we don't know where she is. She was not put in the same room as us."

"And you just sit here in safety? Hn, pathetic."

Raiden turned his dark eyes to the fire demon, "We would not be here if we weren't all infected."

Hiei and Kurama stiffened for a moment, never having witnessed what happens when Raiden speaks.

"What do you suggest we do?" Kurama questioned, forcing himself to stay where he was instead of running to go find his mate. The moment he left the barrier he would forget about her and possibly hurt her. He would never take that chance.

"I can extend my barrier as far as I can, and then we go find whoever created the drug that they had been feeding us. Maybe there is a cure. We might find Rin on the way."

"Don't worry, that's all being taken care of as we speak. What do you think Kuwabara has been doing?"

"Yusuke!" Kurama and Taro both said as they turned their attention to the ex Spirit Detective.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. I had to stay under the radar which was hard when you have demons trying to attack you left and right."

"Yusuke, how could he be in the living world if he was separated from his body," Kurama questioned.

"Magic, isn't that what this whole damn thing revolves around? Jeez, you would think there would be witches."

"There are. They are normal humans who are connected to the earth in a spiritual way. Most have high spiritual awareness," said Makoto.

"No shit," replied Yusuke, his eyebrows high on his forehead.

"Shut up and let's get back to business," Blaize yelled, her irritation making the barrier hot to everyone except Hiei.

The men all turned their attention to her, "Let's get Rin and Jesse and then get the hell out of here."

"Kuwabara, Jin and Toya are taking care of the jerk that caused this mess so you guys need to get to safety. I'm here to find Rin. She's in deep danger -More than before."

"What do you mean?" Hiei questioned, his eyes dark and his aura becoming dangerous as it flared around him like a hungry dragon.

"There is one other person behind's the crazy scientist. Amos's sister."

"No," Makoto whispered, his head shaking back and forth as his yellow eyes filled with nothing other than fear. Fear for Rin.

"Hn, I'm not staying here with these weaklings," Hiei growled, taking a step forward, almost out of the barrier.

"Hiei don't!" Kurama yelled but the fire demon didn't listen.

Right as Hiei's foot left the barrier, they heard a scream echo around the cave. It was so loud that it went above the fighting that was surrounding them. All of the demons paused for a moment, their ears zoned in on the sound before they began to fight once more.

**"Hiei!"**

His eyes went wide as her fear entered his head. He saw it, the green headed hag touching her, cutting her, torturing her.

When the rest of the group blinked Hiei was gone.

"Shit!" Yusuke yelled as he took off in the opposite direction than the group was headed.

"This is bad," Blaize mumbled, serious for the first time in decades.

~~W~~W~~W~~

They crept along, Toya and Jin taking care of all of intruders before they saw Kuwabara planting bombs all throughout the cave.

When Kuwabara had woken up in his real body Jin had to pull him out of the room because he was throwing up green gunk. He seriously was not feeling well and only worst by the minutes that were passing by.

He was taking a big risk by doing what he was doing. They had no idea when the magic in the pendent would run out. It had to be recharged after every use or else it returns to a normal piece of jewelry. Then he will get all crazy until he died from the poisoning in his body that he can't fight off. He was more at risk than anyone due to the fact that he was pure human.

Toya and Jin were flawless at keeping watch without truly alarming the inhabitants of their intentions. Kuwabara placed the tiny black bombs sporadically and as swiftly as he could. He had to be careful because if he dropped even one than they were all goners.

They had to be quick and precise because each bomb was timed for an hour after it's placed in its position, and Kuwabara could feel himself starting to get worst. Everything was becoming blurry and dream like. He wanted to see his Yukina at least one more time. Just hold her in his arms as they watched the sun go down like the first time they kissed.

Maybe make her his wife.

"Come on mate, we need to get going!" said Jin as he grabbed the tall human and half dragged him towards the heart of the cave.

Where there second enemy will be waiting.

"This is it," said Toya as he positioned himself in front of Jin and Kuwabara.

"Yeah," Kuwabara slurred as he summoned up all of his energy to make his sword.

Now he saw everything double. He kept his composure as they silently entered what appeared to be a science lap.

In the middle of the room was Amos, lying on a cot on the floor. He was covered by a black robe even though you can see the blood seeping from him.

"Will someone get this damn corpse out of here? It's hard to think when I have to smell that cursive order."

Kuwabara almost yelled "GROSS" when the demon made its appearance.

It was a short little thing with bumpy yellow skin and large pus colored eyes that had green liquid oozing from them and down the creatures face. It was wearing a white lab coat and had brown horns on the top of its head.

"Yes sir," a dark demon mumbled before he quickly grabbed Amos by his coat and dragged him off somewhere, a trail of blood following him.

"Stupid demon was too crazy to ever get what he waned done. Oh well, I picked up the slack," the demon cheered to itself with its strange deep voice that seemed wrong for his size.

"Think again you ugly version of Yoda!" Kuwabara boomed, making himself known though Toya and Jin stayed hidden.

The demon gave Kuwabara a blank look, "Interesting. You are human yet you stand here and with a bit of your energy none the less. I see it is fading though. Do you wish to not die?"

"Huh?" Kuwabara questioned.

This demon did not seem alarmed or hostile. If anything it just seemed irritated that he had to clean up after Amos.

"Duh I want to live."

"You need the antibiotics in order to reverse it."

Kuwabara narrowed his eyes, "What is that?"

The demon smiled -its teeth red and pointed, "My blood, just as the oozing from my eyes is the poison."

Kuwabara's eyes were wide as the small demon pulled out a hand gun.

"I didn't know demons had guns!" Kuwabara hollered as he took a few steps back.

"I keep with the times," the demon replied before its plump finger pulled back on the trigger.

Kuwabara ungracefully jumped out of the way as harsh wind blew the small demon off of his feet.

Kuwabara groaned as his spirit sword disappeared from his hands. His blurry eyes watching as Toya retrained the screaming demon by using his ice as hand cuffs.

"Get Kuwabara!" Toya yelled as he and his prisoner started for the door.

Jin grabbed Kuwabara, "Come on."

And then they began to make their way out the room.

They zigzagged through out the halls, Jin supporting Kuwabara and Toya restraining the only one that had the cure and can save everyone's life.

"Finally," Kuwabara whispered -his energy so low that he found it hard to speak.

They exited the cave and ran into the woods

"Over here!"

Boton was standing a few feet away from them, a portal ready to transport them to the medical ward in Spirit World.

Kuwabara was fading though, fading so fast that time seemed to have frozen before his eyes. They were too late.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Her throat ached, her body screamed in pain and she felt like she was burning. Maybe she was. If she was on fire Rin wouldn't be able to notice. Everything blurred. Nothing was separated. Nothing made sense.

She survived all of this just to die at this fanatical woman's hands. Hiei, she wanted Hiei. She wanted him to bust right on in here and murder this woman so aggressively that they won't even be able to tell who the corpse belonged to.

Rin scream again but only a raspy squeal came out before her voice died. The carving had started back up, this time on her stomach. Rin couldn't think of an inch on her naked body that hadn't been carved into. That hadn't been touched.

"My dear, you sure are beautiful," the woman hissed, her tongue flickering against Rin's earlobe.

"I enjoy you much more when you're withering in pain. So wither!"

This time Rin's voice worked as she screamed so loud that it made her ear drums ache. She cried silently, the tears falling without her command as she struggled to breathe.

"Hiei," she whimpered, closing her eyes tight as the woman bathed in her pain.

The woman stopped laughing as a growl resonated throughout the room.

Rin opened her eyes, frozen as she spotted him standing in the doorway. He didn't look like himself though and she found herself the opposite of relieved.

He looked crazed, dangerous, blood thirsty and he was staring right at her.

"Oh this is just too good," the woman moaned as she stepped away from her prey.

"Hiei?" Rin whispered, hoping that she could awaken him from what spell he was under.

Hoped filled her heart as realization entered his eyes, but it was short lived as his eyes shadowed over and he went charging towards her, sword positioned for her heart.

~~W~~W~~W~~

The group was careful and silent as they stayed along the walls of the hallways. When there were demons who noticed them, Raiden took care of them without even breaking a sweat or touching them. He just used the wind to knock them out.

"There's the entrance," Bryce said as they turned a corner.

"There's Jesse," said Blaize.

"Hey, that sexy announcer!" yelled Taro, more exited than he should have been considering their current situation.

"Gross," Blaize mumbled as they stepped away from the wall and made their way towards the entrance.

Jesse and the slutty announcer were going at it, and Jesse was kicking her ass. She had her by the hair and was pounding her face in.

The announcer was wearing a blood stained G-string bathing suit and with every punch Jesse gave her, her exposed assets giggled. It was disgusting.

Finally they were close enough to the two women. Blaize extended her barrier so they would be included. Jesse stopped in mid punch; her body freezing as she stared blankly down at the other woman.

She suddenly dropped her, obviously not caring if she was hurt and turned right towards Kurama. It only took a second more before they were hugging so tightly that Blaize thought they were going to mend into one another.

The announcer started crying as she sat cross legged on the ground. It was pathetic.

"Hey now," Taro cooed as he slyly pulled her to him.

His hand reached down and cupped her bare ass -a lecherous smile on his handsome face as he squeezed.

"Not right now you pervert!" she yelled as she slapped him across the face.

His face didn't even budge.

"Later then," he said so seriously that she just stared blankly up at him, her eyes confused.

"We need to get a move on before we're spotted," Kurama said as he scooped Jesse up in his arms and started walking towards the entrance.

Everyone quickly followed the fox as they entered the forest and far away from the cave.

"Over here! Come on!"

Boton was standing in the same stop she lured Kuwabara to. Her face was panicked and everyone automatically knew that something was wrong.

"Boton, what's the matter?" Kurama questioned since he was the only who familiar with usual chipper grim reaper.

Right now she looked grave and like she had been crying.

"It's Kuwabara, they don't know if they can save him. He was going around planting bombs even though he didn't have to and now he is sick and…" Boton began crying again her hand covering her mouth.

"Bombs?" Blaize questioned.

"Yes, they go off in about 20 minutes. Koenma wanted the place to be destroyed" Boton said simply as she glanced around at the group.

"Who is missing?"

"Yusuke went to go find Rin and Hiei took off after we all heard her screaming," said Makoto, who still seemed out of character and depressed.

Boton's eyes widened, "Oh dear," she whispered, "There's nothing we can do now. We have the cure and you need to get the virus out of your bodies before you get in the same condition as Kuwabara," she choked on her tears for a moment before everyone started towards the portal.

Taro and the announcer went through first, then Kurama and Jesse. Blaize turned around and gave Makoto and Raiden a saddened smile before she too entered the portal.

"We have to trust that this time she will be okay," Makoto whispered to his old time friend.

Raiden sighed as he turned towards the direction of the cave.

"We have to trust that she will be okay," Raiden replied, nodding as the two demons made their way towards the portal, nothing but faith filling their hearts as they walked away from the one that they care for the most.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Yusuke knew he was close. Her raspy screams were getting louder as he carelessly ran down the halls, punching anyone who got in his way.

"Damn three eyes just had to go and play hero," Yusuke mumbled, worried that Hiei had harmed Rin even though his intentions were to save her.

Hiei was much smarter and any other time he would understood that he could not help her. That just went to show how much the fire demon cared for the girl. The only other person he would rush to would be Yukina.

"Get out of my way dammit!" Yusuke yelled as he turned left and punched a giant bull demon while he was at it.

He ran even faster as he continued to zigzag throughout the maze like halls. He was close. He took a sharp right and froze as he entered a small stone room that was obviously used for torcher.

"Hiei, no!" Yusuke yelled as he went to go stop the fire demon. He was too late and the silver blade was soon embedded in Rin's chest.

Her eyes were wide as she stared into Hiei's. They were now clear and horror stricken.

"Onna?" he whispered, taking a step back as she started to aggressively cough up blood.

"Bravo, that was ironically beautiful," the woman cheered, a large smile of malice on her face.

"You stupid bitch!" Yusuke hollered before he was on her in a fit of rage.

"Its okay," Rin choked out as she gave Hiei a weak smile before letting in the darkness.

Hiei growled and screamed at the same time, shaking his head as the madness and anger fought to control him.

"Shit!" Yusuke yelled as a loud explosion went off somewhere in the cave, causing everything to shake and chunks of rock cave in.

Something hard hit Hiei's head, knocking him unconscious and freeing him of himself and his many internal battles.

It repeated in his head, his sword piercing her flesh, the pain that flashed through her eyes. He would forever be haunted by that moment.


	24. Chapter 23

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 23: Goodbye**

"Yusuke, is everyone going to be okay?"

"Yeah, of course they are. How many times have we been in bad situations and it turned out okay?"

"It's never been like this…"

And then the voices stopped.

Rin wanted to call out to them. She wanted contract with somebody, but she just couldn't move. She could hardly breathe.

"Look, Rin's waking."

She groaned -the sound more similar to a frog due to the rawness of her throat.

"Rin, please wake up!"

She wanted to yell at that person and tell them to shut the hell up and that she was trying. Instead she reached further into consciousness and finally opened her eyes.

It took Rin a moment for her vision to clear. All she saw was a brown blob standing over her, shaking like someone would if they were trying to not cry.

"Keiko?" she tried to say, but her voice died out due to the abuse it had went through.

It was like someone had lit a match in her throat and then carved into the burn with a knife.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Keiko cried, tears coming from her big brown eyes that were now red and blotchy.

It was like a dam had just given into the water that built up behind it.

"Come on Keiko, we need to go see how Kuwabara's doing now that we know she's okay," Yusuke said as he walked into Rin's line of view.

"Sure," Keiko said slowly as she backed up and started for the door, her eyes still dazed and hopeful.

Yusuke looked sad and tired as he looked down at his wounded friend who was like a sister to him.

Rin wanted to ask him what was going on but her voice wouldn't work. She tried with all of her might to let her question show through her pleading eyes. Yusuke only closed his eyes as he moved his head away from her and followed his wife silently out of the room.

"He doesn't know what to say to you."

Even though Rin couldn't see him, she knew Raiden was somewhere in the room. It was hard to mistake his voice and presents for anyone else's.

"Here," he said softly, more soft than usual, as a glass cup was placed at her cracked lips.

She gratefully allowed him to help her drink it as he placed one large palm under her head and the other steadily held the cup to her lips. Even though the position was slightly painful, water had never felt so healing before and it had never tasted so damn good.

He laid her back down once she was finished and this time he sat beside her so she could see him.

"That was the best thing I have ever drank," she tried to joke, but her throat protested against the action.

Raiden chuckled lightly, a rare sound to hear from the icy demon.

"Water can do a lot of things. It can take life just as easily as give it. It can even heal those who are fatally wounded when in the right hands."

Rin turned her head completely to Raiden, his eyes blank though she had a feeling that he was trying to tell her something. The best word to describe Raiden, cryptic.

"Yes, I have heard that once before." Rin answered slowly, her eyes narrowed as she tried see through his stoic attitude.

There was a reason that he had just mentioned that bit of information.

He turned his head towards the door way and not even a minute later frantic yelling was being heard out in the halls.

"He's slipping!"

"More anesthetics!"

"More blood!"

"Where the hell is that stupid fucking doctor?"

"Yusuke do something!"

Rin's eyes were wide as she turned to Raiden. He seemed calm and unbothered by the chaos unfolding in another emergency room.

"What's going on? Who's hurt?" Rin whispered, a dark feeling settling over her heart.

"Kuwabara's fragile human body can't fight off the poison. He is dying."

He didn't even flinch or look saddened by the news. Has he ever even loved before? Does he even know what its like to have someone close to you die, and not be able to do anything to stop it?

"Take me to him."

Rin's voice was cold and serious, something she wasn't use to hearing when she spoke. It was almost like someone else was speaking through her. Almost like whom she tried so hard to harness had finally come through -The person who was strong, fearless, and cold to their very bones -The side of her that had never cared about death and other people in the world.

She portrayed herself as being sweet, innocent, thoughtful, weak, and in a way she was, but it didn't reach down to the coldness inside of her. It didn't even scrape the surface of her bitter rage, the part the would kill anyone who so much looked at her wrong, and not even care for the life she just took or the blood stain it would create.

That prayer, the mysterious prayer that was carved into her very skull at some point in her life, she says it so she doesn't fall victim to her deepest desires -The one that cares for nothing and craves destruction. Maybe if she says it enough that coldness will go away and she'll know what its like to truly feel peace and belonging -And warmth.

Raiden said nothing as he stared at her, 10 million things flashing through his mind but not one thing showing. Rin knew this, somehow knowing Raiden better than she should. He has loved, and he has lost. He didn't want her to experience that pain, more than she already had. Rather it was a lover or a friend that was in danger he understood her and she him. Yet they were merely strangers.

Very gently he bent over to pick her up, mindful of her chest wound and beaten body. The only clothing Rin had on was a pair of purple boy shorts underwear, the rest was covered by white bandages that went from her ankles and all the way to her neck. Just 2 thousand more scars she will have to carry with her.

When they exited her room it was chaos as ogres, doctors, and nurses ran around in a frantic rush. Rin blocked out their screams as Raiden skillfully kept out of their way, not even being noticed as they neared.

"Yusuke, help him!" Keiko screamed, her small hands beating on Yusuke's chest.

Yusuke had his head down, his loose midnight hair hiding his eyes from sight. His blue aura was starting to swirl around him, pain and guilt seeping from him like he was feeding it to Rin directly.

Kurama and Jesse were a little ways away. Kurama also was hiding his eyes. Jesse, who was looking around frantically, was obviously more concerned about her silent mate.

Yukina was crying, her gems hitting the floor and bouncing off the surface. She was making an ice barrier around her due to her distress.

Blaize was sitting down and against the wall, farthest away from the scene though her blank eyes told Rin that she was listening to the panic.

Makoto was opposite her but through the corner of his eyes he was watching Rin and Raiden.

Two demons were whispering to one another, one tall with orange hair and the other short with silvery blue hair. Rin did not know who they were but she could tell that they also felt pain from the situation.

Koenma was holding a crying Boton who was shaking and screaming something Rin couldn't hear. She was angry, and by the pounding that Koenma was taking in his chest, it was at the Prince himself. His eyes were closed and his body slouched in a defeated posture. He was guilty and he should be. This was his fault and his plan.

They reached the door quietly and slipped in. The only person in the room was the purple nurse who took care of Rin when the whole thing first started. She was monitoring his heart rate which was very unsteady and fading.

"How much longer?" Rin asked, -her voice steady and stern.

The nurse looked up, her black eyes confused for a moment as she examined Rin.

"He won't make it through the night."

Rin turned her shadowed eyes to Kuwabara lying motionless on the bed, a mask giving him oxygen and a blood bag pumping blood throughout his body. He was turning blue and drastically sweating though his body was shivering and looked cold.

They were by his bedside with only three steps, the nurse on the opposite side staying silent though no one was supposed to be in the room in case of an emergency.

"If there is anything you can do…" she said quietly, her eyes pleading as she stepped away from them to give more room.

Rin said nothing as she stared at her friend, the one who was always so understanding and genuine -The one who never let anything get him down.

"I will trade my life for yours if have to," Rin whispered before she touched the center of Kuwabara's head.

It soared through her -warmth that she had never felt before yet felt so much like home. It tingled under her skin, her eyes closing in a pleasure that reached her heart and mind. It seeped out from her touch and entered Kuwabara's body.

Rin reopened her eyes, surprised by the wind that was circulating throughout the room. Water from Rin's hand was seeping into Kuwabara's skin and very slowly he started to loose his bluish tint. She could see her water spreading throughout his body; her eyes somehow seeing her water flush out the poison that to her looked black in his veins.

"What's going on in here?"

"Rin, what are you doing?"

"Oh my god!"

She ignored the people at the door as she continued to do whatever it was she was doing. The questioning stopped as Kuwabara's heartbeat grew stronger and steadier.

Finally the wind died down and the water Rin had created stopped seeping into Kuwabara's head. Like a rubber band, the warmth she released into Kuwabara snapped back into her. This time it was painful and knocked her out cold.

"Don't worry, she's just sleeping."

Makoto.

"That was a risky thing that she pulled."

Koenma.

"She saved him."

Yukina.

"I'm so happy everyone's alive."

Keiko.

"Me to."

Boton.

"Once again luck was on our side."

Kurama.

"Will someone please explain to me what the hell just happened?"

Yusuke.

"When she wakes up. I don't think she realized what she just did."

Makoto.

"Great. What did I blow up this time?" Rin mumbled, still half dazed.

The room fell silent as Rin reached out with her senses. There were more people in the room than she thought.

Raiden, Blaize, Jesse, and she could even feel Kuwabara. She could literally feel him. It was like a tickling in the back of her brain that told her he was alive.

Everyone who was important was here -All except one.

"Where is he?" Rin whispered, still keeping her eyes closed so she couldn't see his missing body.

"He went to demon world the moment the poison was driven out of his body."

She opened her eyes, suddenly angry as no one in the room would meet her eyes. Not even Kurama who had just spoken.

"Rin, he has some inner turmoil he needs to sort out and so do you. You have training to do as well. You don't have time to worry about him. When he's ready he'll come back."

Everyone turned their surprised eyes to Raiden who was sitting in the far corner.

She felt herself calm down at his words and the fact that he would look her in the eye, but it still hurt that the fire demon didn't even see if she was alright. He just…left. How could he not make sure everyone was okay first?

"Do you want to know how you saved Kuwabara?"

Rin turned her attention to Makoto who was leaning casually against the wall.

She nodded, not trusting her voice to carry her answer.

"By healing him you transferred a bit of yourself to him. He is now tied to you and your life line is his life line. He is no longer tied down to human years."

Surprised noises were passed around the room. Rin included. She glanced at his body lying on the bed next to hers. He looked like he was sleeping but now there was a dark blue tattoo on his upper left arm. It looked like a raindrop with black pointed wings.

"He is now bound to you. The ones of our kind that could do what you did only used this on beings they trusted. It was most used for body guards or slaves. In a matter of speaking, he is your human."

"Holy shit," Yusuke mumbled.

Rin ignored that last piece of information. That didn't matter. Kuwabara does not belong to her in any matter of speaking.

"Yukina," Rin said softly, "Now you can be together without the matter of his death getting in the way."

Yukina's eyes watered, a hopeful looked in her red eyes that were even brighter due to her constant crying.

"Rin, now that you are no longer in danger, what are you planning to do?" Koenma asked.

Rin turned her eyes to her lap.

"Brothers house in waiting for me," she said gently.

No one said anything as silence fell over them. Rin laid back and closed her eyes, feeling sleep tugging on her brain.

It was a happy ending. No one died. Why does she feel so alone?

~~W~~W~~W~~

Kurama walked through the Spirit World halls, his steps patient and his eyes calm regardless of the urgency of the situation. He entered a random room full of dusty books and a big desk of forgotten papers. Sitting at the window was what he was looking for.

"I told her you left for the Makai, as you asked."

The fire demon said nothing though his eyes dropped a little. His face was hard but lacked the intensity and anger. He did not look like the prideful demon Kurama had come to know. He looked defeated and regretful.

"Take care of her. I am not coming back."

Kurama sighed, his eyes closing as he shook his head lightly.

"Hiei, the physical wound you caused is nothing compared to the mental one your actions will create."

Hiei closed his eyes, his head bowing, "I know," he whispered before he got up and started for the door, his hands in his pockets and his eyes remaining closed.

"I am no good for her," was the last thing he said before brushing past Kurama with every intention to never return.

Kurama didn't know what to say to the fire demon. There was no telling what Hiei will choose to do in the future, but it was not like him to change his mind once it has been made.

"Please don't be stupid Hiei," Kurama whispered but the fire demon was already gone.

"He will come back."

Kurama turned towards the doorway, a sigh leaving his lips.

"He's past being confused," Makoto explained, his body leaning against the door frame, "He's simply doing what he feels is best, for the moment at least. I happen to agree with him."

Kurama did to. That was why he played along and didn't beg Hiei to stay. He had some things to take care of and Rin was still so young and wounded.

"I agree," Kurama said gently before his eyes became stern, "I found a very informational book about your kind. Some of it was quite interesting."

"Is that so?" Makoto said softly but Kurama only nodded in response. Nothing more was needed.

They fell into silence, the air thick and weighted on their lungs. They have been through many life changing things. Two of there own had almost died. It was all over now, but how will they each pick up the pieces that they have made?

-Yusuke feeling guilt for Kuwabara's condition.

-The re-patching of himself and Jesse's relationship when they have went so long without one another.

-Kuwabara almost dying.

-Rin getting stabbed by Hiei and him leaving.

-Hiei stabbing Rin when he only wanted to save her.

-Makoto having to keep secrets of the past.

It seemed that everyone has something to deal with. That may be the hardest part yet.

~~W~~W~~W~~

It had been awhile since Rin had returned to Genkia's. Well, it felt like a long time. She had only been out of the hospital for a few months now. However, she didn't come back to simply visit.

She marched through the woods, doing her best to keep memories and feelings at bay. She had a mission to do and needed to be fully concentrated in order to do what was asked even though she truly did not want to complete this task.

"Ah, there we go," Rin mumbled as she spotted the thin and almost invisible portal to the demon world.

She took a deep breath, calming her nerves and racing heart. She removed the swords that she crisscrossed on her back and entered through the portal.

She was dizzy for a moment and was in a low crouch once she had crossed through.

-The Demon World.

For some reason it felt more like home than her real one does. She found beauty in the chaotic style that it processed.

The red sky and purple clouds were like a painting she once saw. She had wanted that painting but it was much too expensive. Something about it called to her. Now she knows why.

"Rin."

She stood up, her head bowed even though she was fully aware.

"Why? Why do you want me to kill you?"

She heard his footsteps, approaching from the right in long but slow steps.

She swung her sword up, swiftly blocking his. She raised her head, meeting his black eyes. For the first time she saw it. He was a corpse, sad, lonely, guilty, and angry. For the first time she saw Raiden, not just heard him. Maybe it was because she was now the same.

"It only seems fitting that I die by your hands. I have been waiting, rotting away on the inside for far too long," he said calmly.

"I told you in the hospital that I can't," she whispered -her voice sounding choked and lower.

"Why would you be so cruel? I will find peace and happiness in death, but only if I die by the hands of who I feel are worthy."

She kept the tears at bay as he took a few steps back. He nodded, his black hair moving into his determined eyes.

As she took a fighting stance, her body low and crouched, she recalled his words to her only a few months ago.

_"We never got a real chance to fight one another."_

_Rin turned her head to older demon, surprised that he even cared to fight a weakling such as herself._

_"When you are well and train some more, we will fight a true battle."_

_"What do you mean?" Rin questioned, unease settling over her heart as he turned to look her dead in the eye._

_"We will fight to the death, and you will win."_

Yes, she is more powerful and in control of her demon heritage due to Blaize. Yes, she was healed and physically normal besides a few scars. But can she kill Raiden while he's giving it his all? Is she strong enough to kill him when the stranger feels like a childhood friend, even more?

She didn't know. She didn't know what the right thing to do was. She didn't know his reasons for feeling like he has nothing left. All she knew was that she will fight with everything she has. It would be an insult to him if she didn't.

"No holding back," Raiden said -his sword calmly by his side.

"No holding back," Rin agreed, holding her sword in a defensive posture.

He nodded, and then he was gone.

Rin quickly jumped to the left and blocked his sword before he disappeared again. Wherever he showed up she was ready and blocked with so much strength that she hardly moved. Each time it was only his sword that she saw. He stayed hidden and out of the way so she couldn't strike back.

Once he was done testing her and looking for a weakness, the real battle began.

He charged head on, and this time Rin replied with her own attack. She moved and went to strike him down from behind but he moved as well and went to aim a kick at her back.

Rin jumped back, doing a flip as she went in order to dodge Raiden's blade that was suddenly thrust at her face.

"You have improved, at least with your sword and defensive maneuvers. What about without weapons? We will continue to go no where at this rate."

It was like someone else was taking control of Rin as she tossed her swords aside and smirked.

"As you wish," she said coolly, her posture no longer stiff but now relaxed and confident.

Raiden blinked as he examined the small girl before smirking himself.

"There we go," he said as he tossed his own sword aside.

He ushered her to attack with a large hand, his body lowering to the ground as his eyelids drooped in a more seductive look.

This time it was Rin who disappeared. Raiden did not look around for her. He used the air to track her movements but found that he couldn't place her. The ground did not tell of her movements either. She was everywhere, but no where.

Raiden swung around, catching her tiny fist in his as he sailed backwards, his feet digging into the ground and Rin doing her best to make him loose balance.

She gave one more burst of her strength, making Raiden tip over only enough for her to get away with bringing her leg up and kicking him in the side.

He flew through the air, before he flipped and landed gently on his feet do to his wings.

Rin wasted no time in coming for him again. This time however Raiden was ready. He caught her fist and threw her away from him.

She collapsed on the ground, her body leaving a crater in its wake along with a cloud of risen sand.

When the air cleared Rin had vanished.

Raiden smirked as he got in a defensive posture. She had most definitely been training. In no time she will be up to Katsumi's level before her death -Maybe even stronger.

"How about we spice it up a bit?"

Raiden turned around; power and the smell of magic entering his scenes and making the hair on his arms stand up.

The wind was violently flowing around them, her arms outstretched and her eyes bright and missing the pupil. She was smirking and her body tall and proud even though she was diminutive. He had always loved that about her. -Katsumi. He could see Katsumi's influence. The person Rin is deep inside -The seductive woman who never cared about trivial things, as she would say.

"Hope your wings are water proof," she teased as water balls the size of baseballs began to appear out of thin air.

Raiden braced himself, knowing this move and how dangerous it can be if you make one mistake.

The water balls all attacked him, some from the right, the left, above and even under.

He twisted and turned his body, trying to not let the water touch him even though there weren't many ways to escape.

She suddenly appeared in front of him her smirk large and exited. She had him trapped. It was so swift and fast that Raiden couldn't find a way to get away from her fist. She knocked him straight back and into the awaiting water balls behind him.

He hissed in pain as it sliced through his skin like butter. The rest of the water balls fell as Rin slowly left her battle mode.

"How did you just fall for that?" she whispered -her eyes wide and wild as she watched the blood ooze from his body.

"When you have nothing to fight for, you have no reason to fight," he said before coughing up blood due to the wounds all around his body.

"But you're so much stronger…" Rin whispered as she knelt down beside him.

He smiled, a genuine happy smile as his eyes lit up in a way that made him look…not like Raiden. It made him look childish and happy. Could death really bring someone that much happiness?

"It doesn't matter how strong you are but how much you care for what you're fighting for. I want to die and be free from this world that has nothing for me. It makes me weaker and sloppy. And pathetic," he chuckled lightly before starting to cough up more blood.

Rin quickly turned his head to the side so he wouldn't choke on his own blood. Makoto once told her that it's best to put an animal out of its misery when he made her hunt for food during training. Was this situation the same?

"You can do it Rin. Please."

She fought the tears as she stared into his face. Not an ounce of pain was showing but she knew it must hurt. Even if she didn't give a killing blow he would bleed to death. It would be a long torturous death. Raiden was far beyond that.

She said nothing as she stepped away from his body and walked over to where she threw her swords. She continued to say nothing as she knelt by him once more and aimed straight for his heart. Deep knife like wounds were covering him due to his attack. He was soaked in his own blood.

He said nothing as he watched her movements, his body getting colder and colder as the minutes passed though they were frozen in time. Or at least it felt like it.

"Let the god's and goddesses grant you peace in the after life," Rin whispered, her eyes glazing over as a single tear fell.

She could feel something warm coat her hand, almost like there was someone with her –someone who was giving her strength to do what was needed. It didn't stop the tears.

Raiden smiled, his eyes flashing in sorrow as he raised a shaky hand and brushed the tear away from her cheek. That single gesture was full of many things that Rin will never know.

The sword pierced his heart.

She blinked a few times, shock filling her bones as she watched the life fade from his eyes.

She sniffled as she reached her hand up and closed his eyelids so he looked like he was sleeping instead. But Rin knew better. She was not so naïve when it came to death.

She moved a little ways away and began to dig with her hands. Dirt was sticking to the blood on her body as she dug and fought with the demon world soil.

If any demons had seen her or what had happened they chose not to let themselves be known. She was completely alone and it was silent besides the sound of her heavy breathing.

She didn't know how long it took for her to finally dig a grave deep enough and long enough for Raiden's body, but by the time she was finished she was cold and numb.

She did her best to lift his body without damaging him even more. She lowered him as gently as she could into the deep, uneven grave.

"I hope you find what you're looking for you foolish man," Rin whispered before starting to cover him with dirt.

She drove home, not caring about making her brother's car dirty. She was on auto pilot, driving slow and running a few red lights as she went deeper into town.

Her brother's house came into view, but she didn't even get plagued by the images that Amos had made her see concerning this house.

She walked inside, took off her shoes, and then crumbled.

No matter what she went through or conquered, no matter how much stronger she may become, she was still just a porcelain doll.

~~W~~W~~W~~

Raiden felt free for the first time in years. He could breathe without it feeling bitter; he can smile without it feeling wrong. He can feel.

He walked along the foggy wooden bridge, going to his rightful place in the afterlife. The white mist was beautiful and was an endless sea as he looked over the bridge.

"It took you long enough."

His head snapped up, a smile tugging on his lips as he came face to face with the one person he thought he'd never see again.

"Katsumi, why are you here?"

She smiled, happiness leaking from her eyes as she stood on the opposite side of the bridge.

"I could have left any time I wanted."

Raiden took a step closer, his eyes confused as he played around with her words in his head.

"You could have crossed over anytime you wanted? You could have found peace."

Katsumi shook her head, "I could have crossed over, but I wouldn't have found peace. Amos is gone, Rin is safe, and now we can spend the rest of eternity together. That is peace."

Now that Raiden was gone, Rin will need to have another protector. The new protector was already chosen; all that's left is the binding of magic. That comes with touch. Raiden already knew who was going to take over for the rest of Rin's days. The thought had him smiling.

"Come now love. You have all eternity to tell me of the things I missed. Perhaps you can tell me about the strip club you went to not that long ago." Katsumi teased as she held out her small hand.

Raiden snorted as he walked closer before pulling her into an embrace. Hundreds of years separated and they have finally found peace.


	25. Chapter 24

Porcelain Doll

**Chapter 24: The End**

"Come on Rin! Everyone is already as Genkia's!" Keiko shouted, making Rin flinch as she pulled on her white shorts and dark blue tee-shirt.

"Relax Keiko. They won't start my surprise party without me." Rin replied calmly, smirking to herself when the shouting in her living room died down.

She glanced in her mirror, her midnight hair in a high ponytail and her exotic eyes bright against her thick eyelashes. Her tattoo was just another part of her skin and no one bothered her like they use to.

Intimidation -What an amazing power.

Rin left her room and made her way down stairs and to the living room.

Keiko gave her a sheepish smile before they made their way out of the house.

"The kids have all been exited to see you. Yusuke included," Keiko said as they drove through the crazy Japan traffic.

"I've been looking forward to seeing them along with everyone else as well. It's only been a month though. We just had that picnic at the park."

Keiko shrugged, "That's what I said, but they love there Aunt Rin."

The two women laughed, a comforting silence taking over the small car as they continued the long drive to Genkia's temple.

Rin walked beside the older woman on the long staircase –their steps slow and even. Of course, she could have already been at top if she wanted, but she wanted to make sure Keiko didn't need help even though she was in the best shape of her life.

2 kids down and she was more fit in her 30's than when she was in her 20's, from what Keiko says anyway.

They finally made it to the top and entered the temple, but it was empty and completely silent.

"Oh my, I wonder where everyone is at. Let's go to the back," Rin said sarcastically, making Keiko elbow her in the side.

Rin grunted and held back a chuckle as Keiko shoved her forward. They walked through the temple all the way to the back entrance.

Rin opened the sliding door.

"Surprise!"

Rin blinked before raising her hands in mock terror.

"Ahh!" she screamed dully, making the adults roll their eyes at the younger woman.

"We got you didn't we?"

"Yeah, we totally surprised you!"

Rin raised an eyebrow as she examined the two black haired twins.

"You sure did," Rin said a she ruffled the boy's messy hair and grabbed the girl's hand.

"Anna, Josh, you leave your Aunt alone and let her mingle."

"Mommy!" Josh yelled, his giant brown eyes agitated, "I told you to call me Ace!"

"More like ass," Anna mumbled.

"Anna!" Keiko screeched.

"Ha ha, you're in trouble!" Josh teased before running towards Kuwabara and Yukina.

"Daddy says it all the time," Anna said, her bottom lip quivering at the thought of being in trouble.

Keiko turned her deadly glare to her smirking husband.

His face turned red a he took a few steps back in fear.

Rin chuckled, looking around at her dysfunctional family.

Kuwabara and Yukina were now married due to how Rin saved his life all of those years ago. They were playing with Josh, but Kuwabara was keeping a watchful eye on his wife. Yukina was pregnant, her 100 year mark finally hitting. Even though it's not really Kuwabara's baby, he treats the situation like it is. That child will have very good parents.

A little ways away Jesse and Kurama were talking to Boton and Shizuru. Jesse had decided to stay in the Human World with Kurama. She gets a lot of attention everywhere she goes -Same as her Mate. They are engaged to get married simply for Kurama's mother's sake. Everyone was waiting for them to have a baby of their own.

Blaize, Makoto, Bryce, and their little bundle of joy were all over the place -talking to one person and then someone else. Makoto and Bryce had a boy who is a year younger than Anna and Josh. He took after his father in everything but his golden hair. He was smitten with little Anna, but she was always beating him up due to his advances.

"Join the party kid. It's not everyday a woman turns 26 and still looks 18."

Rin snorted, "You don't look a day over 26 Genkia."

This time Genkia snorted, "Shut up."

Rin chuckled before starting to mingle with her friends. It was happy and light like all of their meetings. Every birthday Rin always had a wonderful time. She had a stable job as a music teacher for young kids, she had a nice house, the best family a girl could ever ask for.

Rin sighed.

She had promised herself that she wouldn't think of him like she does every time. Then it takes her forever to cheer up and the whole day goes down the crapper.

In the past she was always waiting for him to come back. She would just turn around and he would be there like he always would be after he disappeared. 6 years later and he wasn't back. She was done waiting for him to pop out of no where.

Rin straightened her back and put a big old smile on her face. She was determined to be happy. She had no reason to feel sad and alone, so she wasn't about to let those stupid feelings surface again. They were pointless and pathetic. She was done being pathetic.

"Giving yourself pep talks again?"

Rin jumped, Makoto's voice coming out of no where and sounding as sarcastic as ever.

"Maybe," Rin said, turning to meet not only her friend but in a way her spirit beast…

That was a weird thing to think about.

"You will have a good birthday," Makoto said randomly, his eyes shining in intensity as he stared at her.

"Uh, it's already a good birthday."

Makoto smiled his crazed cheerful smile as he stared passed her and into the wood.

"Of course," he said casually.

Rin, use to Makoto and his neurotic behavior just brushed off his earlier words.

"When are you going to start wearing a shirt Makoto? Your son now thinks that's cool."

Makoto chuckle, "When are you going to come live in the demon world where you belong? I can see that you don't care much for the human world."

Rin sighed, "I don't know Makoto. I will live for a long time now that I'm becoming more and more demon as the years go by. I have the time to spare before I go to the demon world."

Makoto nodded, understanding Rin and her reasons as he always did.

The party went on, the group laughing, drinking, joking and reminiscing. The children had all fallen asleep inside of the temple so now it was just adult time.

They talked about jobs, income, Shizuru's new boyfriend, Jesse and Kurama's wedding plans, Blaize's job as a bouncer at a strip bar in the Makai, Makoto and Bryce's house, Yusuke being made to sleep on the couch and everything else that they could think of.

It was 3 in the morning when everyone decided to go home.

"Keiko, can you drop me off at the graveyard by the old park near my neighborhood?"

Keiko turned to look at her friend who was silent the whole car ride -Until now.

The group could see what Rin herself couldn't. She was in pain even though she smiles. She found everything to be dull and pointless even though she laughs. She loves even though she is numb. After all of these years it still hurt her that everyone she had ever loved had left in one form or another.

"Sure," Keiko whispered, not wanting to bother Rin with questions but there was one thing Keiko knew for certain.

After all of these years she hadn't gone to visit her family once.

Keiko pulled over on the side of the road so Rin could walk the short distance to the cemetery.

"Thank you, I'll call you and Yusuke tomorrow alright?"

"Okay," Keiko said as she nodded -her eyes obvious of her caution as she watched Rin walk away.

The cemetery was dark, no light to show the pathway you must follow until you reach the graves. It was deeper into the woods, not easy to spot from the road unless you knew it was here and by the big cherry blossom tree.

Rin broke away from the narrow path and looked down at the graveyard that haunted her dreams so much that she never wanted to come back.

She stood up on the hill, the cemetery at the bottom and waiting for her to get down to it. She could practically feel her brother calling for her. She could hear his voice saying, "What the hell? You can't even come a visit your old asshole of a brother?"

Rin sighed, her smile and eyes bitter as she made her way down the grassy hill. She zigzagged around the headstones, glancing at them as she passed by. She finally stopped in front of a grave that had ivy and moss covering its surface.

It was forgotten, but the person it signified most definitely was not. She remembered him everyday, imagined him walking down the stairs, or leaving his room. She missed him every single day.

She silently worked on cleaning his grave, her cloths and skin getting covered in dirt as she worked. When she had all of the plants removed and most of the dirt cleaned off she finally stopped and stared at the headstone.

"Draven," she said quietly, "I miss you."

She closed her eyes, soaking in the slight chill of the night and dampness of the morning air. She got up from the ground and made her way back onto the hill. Instead of going down the narrow pathway to the road, she veered off into the woods and followed a worn down path that she use to walk almost everyday.

When she broke free from the trees she was in the old park she used to go to when she had no where else to go. She had that feeling a lot in her younger days.

She took her boots and socks off, just as she did so many times before so she could feel the grass under her bare feet.

She walked passed the renewed children's jungle gym that her brother used to take her to. She passed by the large tree that she used to climb and had fallen from more than she could remember.

She stopped however when she approached the very same bench that seemed so far away in time. This was where it all started. She was on this very bench before Amos had attacked her in her home. This park was the last thing she saw before she was shown who she really was and the reality of the world.

The Rin Suzuki who was here all those years ago, crying over her dead brother and the misfortunes of her life seemed unreal to the Rin Suzuki standing before that same bench almost 7 years later.

Was that because she had grown up or was it because Rin was loosing her humanity as time goes on? She was becoming more demon by the day, growing stronger by the second, becoming more restless by the night. She didn't belong in the human world, not any more. She was hurting herself by staying.

Rin walked through her door way sometime after 6 in the morning. It was a good thing that she didn't work the next day because dealing with little kids took a lot of the patients she didn't have when tired.

She sighed as he threw her purse on the coffee table in the living room. She turned on her TV, and stretched as far back as she could, moaning in delight at the feeling.

She took a deep breath in, her whole body tensing as the smell of smoke engulfed her senses.

Her eyes snapped open as she stared up at the roof. The room was still dark due to the light not being on but she wasn't blinded by the darkness like she used to be.

"Onna."

Tears filled her eyes as her head snapped to the large window in her living room.

There he was. Looking the same way he did 6 years ago yet nothing was the same as before. He sat calmly at the window sill, watching Rin with an unreadable expression. His red eyes reflected the moonlight and made them look 10 times brighter.

"Hiei?" she whispered, not truly believing that he was there, that he had come back.

So many times she had dreams like this. Each time she would find herself alone.

He said nothing as she continued to stare at him, her eyes wide and disbelieving.

Very slowly her shocked face changed to something much more like the fire demon was expecting -Anger.

"You bastard!" she roared before her eyes began to glow a bluish silver.

The wind picked up in the room as her dark blue aura began to swirl around her like an angry tornado. Loose objects began to fall or bust under the pressure of her demonic magic.

Hiei said nothing as he stood up and went to go take a step towards her.

"Don't fucking come near me!" she roared, the wind becoming more violent as a gust seemed to come straight from her body, destroying everything in its path.

Hiei fought against it, keeping his crimson eyes on her as she tried with all of her might to force him out of the window with her dangerous demon energy.

She wanted to kill him, kiss him, stab him, hug him; she wanted to kick his ass so hard that he wouldn't be able to sit down for the rest of eternity.

After all of this time and she still…

"Why come back now!" she cried as she shook her head, the black silky stands free from their hair tie.

"How could you just leave, and not even make sure everyone was okay? Do you care for anyone beside yourself?" she screamed as she closed her eyes tight.

A single water ball formed in each hand and with a flick of her wrist they were soaring through the air and going for the fire demon.

He dodged, barely missing the dangerous water that Rin kept throwing at him as her aura got more dangerous, years of anger finally being released.

"I waited."

The wind stopped as Rin's energy that she couldn't restrain in her body snapped back in. It was silent, breathing even seeming too loud in the tense air.

"You…what? But Kurama said…" Rin stuttered, her eyes wide like they were when she was younger.

When Hiei had first met her, saved her, hurt her, used her, and protected her.

"The fox lied…for me." Hiei mumbled, not use to having to explain his actions like he was doing now.

Anger started to surface in Rin's eyes again, making Hiei sigh in a very unlike Hiei manner. She was starting to frustrate him.

"Dammit Onna, I made sure you were okay first before I left. I wasn't going to come back."

"But you did," Rin said dryly, eying the fire demon who seemed out of place and almost transparent as he stood there.

Maybe she was hallucinating…

"Hn."

Silence fell over them as they eyed one another across the destroyed living room.

"Hiei, I…" she stopped, cutting herself off as she tightened her jaw and clenched her teeth.

She was going to say something she could never take back. She wanted so bad to just tell him to leave and never come back. She wanted to tell him that she didn't need him. She wanted to tell him…

"Hn, say it Onna. Tell me that you hate me and that you can't stand to look at me. Tell me to leave," Hiei said, his voice getting icier as he spoke and stood sideways towards her, preparing to exit out of the window if she did indeed say it.

"If you hate me so much then why not say it? What's holding you back?"

"What is it that you want from me Hiei?" Rin screamed, repeating the same exact words that he asked her so many years ago as she shook her head, tears falling from her wide eyes.

Hate him. How she had wished so many times that she could, but she could never hate Hiei. She could never regret him enough to hate him.

A strange look fell over the fire demons face, his eyes becoming confused and almost venerable.

Rin was taken back as he stared at her so softly, his tough guy demeanor out of the window that she had tried so hard to make him go through only moments before.

His mouth opened slightly, words that he didn't know how to say getting stuck in his throat as he tried to decipher all of the emotions that have been plaguing him since he first saw her.

"Hiei…" Rin whispered, her eyes pleading as she watched one of the strongest men she had ever met fall apart right before her.

Hiei closed his eyes, his hands in his pockets as he turned his head away from her. Rin stayed silent, tears falling from her crazy colored eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"You…what the hell is it about you that haunts me to the point where I can't sleep? It's annoying," Hiei finally whispered -his voice so low that she had hardly heard him.

She couldn't help it. Her soft giggles echoing throughout the room as tears fell from her eyes. It was so funny and dramatic that she just couldn't help but laugh.

Finally the insane part in her disappeared and she was left with just crying and 10 million different emotions. She didn't know how to feel -Happy, sad, pissed. All she knew…all she knew was that after all of this time…she still…she still loved Hiei. He was gone for 6 years and she had never loved anyone else. Had never dated anyone else or been sexual with anyone. He is the only one that she wants and needs -After all of these years…

"I must be a fool," she whispered, her eyes bright and glossy, as she stared at her bloodied feet.

At some point she must has stepped on some broken glass.

She was surrounded by a comforting heat as a calloused hand softly grabbed her chin and lifted her head up.

His crimson eyes were intense as he stared into her eyes. He wanted to know what made her different -What made him feel things he had never felt before. He was starting to think there would be no answers.

"You are the biggest fool I know," Hiei whispered, his voice soft compared to the rough tone he always uses.

"Hiei…were glowing," Rin stated, staring over Hiei's shoulder where there was a golden hue surrounding them.

Hiei's eyes didn't leave hers but he could feel the magic around them. Rather it was internal or external, he didn't know. Maybe it was a little of both.

"Also," Rin said as she turned her attention back to him, "You are a jackass."

Hiei smirked, his eyes almost normal as they flashed in his amusement.

They gazed at one another before his lips were on hers, claiming them with so much urgency and need that it made Rin breathless. They stumbled backwards, stepping on broken glass and fallen objects. He pressed her against the wall, one hand on her cheek and the other on her hip that had gotten even wider with adulthood.

Hiei grunted as he suddenly flew backwards off of his feet. He landed roughly on his back, his eyes flashing in excitement as he stared up at the smirking woman that stood before him.

"Never, disappear like that again Hiei," Rin whispered, her eyes seductive and her smirk devilish.

Hiei's smirk soon mirrored her own as he pounced on her and knocked her to the ground. They said no more as their mouths crashed on one another's. Her hands were ripping at his shirt, dying to feel his skin on hers in the truest form.

Once she got his shirt off she felt over each and every ripple, admiring them the same way she did when she was younger.

Hiei moved his lips to her neck, his teeth gazing the flesh as he ripped her shirt off and threw the ruined fabric across the destroyed room.

Rin gasped as he nipped her earlobe, his rough hand sliding down her bare side and legs. The fire demon growled as he ripped off her bra, attacking the mounds with his mouth and hands. The aggression was enough to send Rin to a different universe, her demon side becoming more potent the rougher he became.

Rin growled -the sound dangerous and sexy as she flipped the fire demon over. She attacked his mouth as she grinded her hips on his, hard and slow.

Hiei eyes darkened as he roughly ripped off her shorts and then flipped her over, both getting cut up which only exited the demons more.

Hiei mounded his hips into hers, less friction between their bodied due to the loss of her shorts.

Rin then flipped him over, quickly undoing his belt that she use to fumble with and then shoving his pants down and off of his body.

She grinded on him again, even less friction between their bodies which made both demons growl as he regained dominance over her once more. He ripped her underwear off and it to joined the destroyed living room.

Hiei hovered over her, there bodies bare and sweaty as they stared down at one another.

The fire demon gazed at the scar above her left breast, the skin paler on her tan body. He brushed over it lightly with his finger, remembering how he came to at the last second and moved a fraction away from her heart.

He glanced down at the rest of her body, thin white scars covering the surface but not taking away her appeal. It made her even better to him.

"Hiei," Rin whispered -her eyes sad as she watched him remember what drove him away from her in the first place.

Hiei met her eyes again, his crimson orbs soft and soothing as he wrapped her legs around his waist and positioned himself.

"Never be ashamed," he whispered, his hand cupping her tear stained cheek before pushing into her lightly.

Her eyes widened as tears whelmed up and her mouth slightly opened.

He pressed in even deeper, stopping to let her adjust and push past the pain. She closed her eyes, a few tear escaping their hold as she turned her head away from him so he wouldn't see.

"Rin, look at me," he whispered, his hand gently turning her head so she was facing him.

"Watch me," he said again as he brushed her tears away with his thumb.

He remained going slow, giving her time to adjust and wiping her tears away when the pain got to her. He let her body adjust to the size of him, the demon in her making it easier than it would have been when she was a human.

He began to move, his movements steady and careful as he watched her eyes for a sign of pain or regret. None of that came as her eyes glossed over in lust and pleasure, her hands on his chest as he became more rough with his movements but still slow and torturous.

She moaned, clawed, and was completely swallowed into there own little world that they had created just this one night. Years of built up feelings and want was released as they moved with one another, explored one another and made love to one another.

She could feel something strong building inside of her, the feeling so intense and beautiful that tears leaked from her eyes as she stared up at the fire demon that was making her feel all of this.

He grabbed her hands, lacing his fingers with hers as he pressed his body against her own. He buried his face in her neck, her breathing and moans going straight into his ear as they both neared their climax.

"You're mine," he growled before sinking his teeth right into her neck.

She screamed, the flash of pain making her go off the deep end as she swam in the pleasure of a blinding white sea.

Something in her had awoken, a possessive side, her demonic side.

"And you're mine," she said, her voice smooth and deeper before she sunk her own teeth into the fire demon's neck.

He gave a long and deep growl as he to found pleasure in the pain that the biting seemed to entail.

They were pressed together, their hands tight as they held the others hand, and their breathing ragged as they recovered and came down from the most powerful high they had ever felt.

Rin felt her eyes becoming heavy, the lack of sleep finally hitting her as he picked up her sore body and began to walk up the stairs.

She sighed as her body landed on cotton sheets that felt so amazing to her sensitive skin.

She felt a dip in the bed and a warm body press against hers. She snuggled closer as she sighed again.

Fingertips brushed lightly on her back, the feeling soothing as she drifted off into a deep and nightmare-less sleep for the first time in years.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"I hope Rin is okay, she said she was going to call us today," Keiko mumbled her -eyes on the phone in hopes that it would ring.

"She's a big girl and can take care of herself," Yusuke said, wrapping his arm around his wife in hopes that it would comfort her.

"Don't worry, she's just tired from celebrating," Makoto said, as he stepped out of the kitchen.

He had come over early in the morning, surprising the couple though they thought of the crazy demon as a friend.

He only came to human world when there was a big celebration with lots of sake.

"What do you mean?" Keiko questioned, confused by the tall demon who was calmly eating his sandwich.

Makoto smirked, his eyes staring out of the window but he did not reply.

He knew the fire demon would return. Now Rin can finally find peace and go where she belongs. Now they both can be happy because without each other they will never be whole.

Hiei simply isn't Rin's protector like Raiden wasn't simply Katsumi's.

They were made for one another, were built to love one another and to be by each others side even after death. It is the oldest magic that exists.

It's called love.

**Epilogue**

"Mommy, Kyo and Daddy are fighting again!"

Rin sighed as she slipped on her robe. Only a second later a little girl ran into the room.

Her short black hair was tussled and her wide red eyes were angry. Her tan cheek was tear stained, always hating it when her brother tried to over power her Daddy. He was the strongest man in the whole world in her eyes.

"Show me where they are Aimi," Rin said softly even though she knew exactly where they were.

"Okay," Aimi said before running out of the room and down the stone hallway.

"They're at it again?"

Rin turned her attention to the tall woman who had just exited one of the rooms they were passing.

"When are they ever not?" Rin said as the two women began walking side by side, following the young child through the maze like hallways.

"Kyo would have loved to see you beat Hiei in the tournament you told me about."

Mukuro smirked, her blue eye amused by the young demon who was more like his father than he knew. That was why they never seemed to get along.

"They are too similar," Mukuro said -her hands in her pockets as she remembered her fight with the fire demon and what he did for her.

He released her like Rin released him.

"Tell me about it," Rin mumbled -a smile on her lips as they exited the castle.

Screams and clinging metal echoed around the courtyard as they made their way towards the training grounds.

Rin sighed as she watched her mate and first born fight, already use to her sons ridiculous pride and her mates way of putting him in his place. It really was an unfair advantage that Hiei had, but Kyo never seemed to care that his father was an S class and an expert with swords and Hiei never cared that he was kicking his own son's ass.

"I will beat you father!" the teenage demon yelled, his bright blonde hair messy and sticking in different directions.

He was taller than both of his parents, something he got from Rin's human family. His right eye was dark blue while the left was crimson red and his skin more was on the fair side.

He was popular amongst the females but like his father only saw them as desperate trash.

Hiei smirked. He was proud of his son's determination and skills even though the fire demon was better than his hybrid son. The moment Kyo learned how to control his elements, fire and water; he was going to be a force to be recon with.

The first step is to show him discipline.

Hiei punched his son so hard that he flew off of his feet and landed hard on the ground.

"You will never beat me if you don't get it through your head that I am stronger. If I were anyone else you would have been dead by now," Hiei said sternly, trying to get a message through his sons head instead of hurt him.

Kyo picked himself up, whipping the blood from his lips as he bowed his head.

"Yes father," he whispered, his voice defeated as he stood and started to walk towards his mother.

"Kyo," Rin said -her voice soft as she stared into her son's eyes.

"Yes mother?" her son replied, always gentle and sweet towards her while he's aggressive and angry towards his father.

"Will you and Aimi please go pack for a trip to the human world? Make sure she packs the right things this time please. I don't want her running around in a bathing suit again."

Kyo smiled as he nodded and then glanced towards Mukuro.

A light blush entered his cheeks as he looked away and quickly grabbed his little sisters hand and dragged her away.

"Ha ha, Daddy kicked your butt, again!" Aimi taunted.

Rin rolled her eyes as she glanced at Mukuro who was smirking.

"It looks like someone has a crush on you."

"Hn."

Rin rolled her eyes again at the woman version of Hiei as she made her way towards her mate who was putting his sword in its sheath.

"I got a message from Yusuke this morning."

The fire demon stopped what he was doing and turned towards Rin. Over the years she had learned how to read him even though his eyes always seemed expressionless. He was curious.

"And?"

Rin lowered her eyes, sadness taking over her expression, "She only has till tomorrow."

Hiei nodded, grabbing his shirt off of the ground as he approached his mate.

He lifted up her chin, "We will be there by tonight."

Rin smiled sadly before giving Hiei a light kiss and then making their way to the castle to pack.

~~W~~W~~W~~

"It feels like years since we have been here," Aimi said, her tiny hand gripping her fathers like no tomorrow.

"It has been years," Kyo said as he glanced around at the trees and blackened sky.

"Will Makoto and Blaize be there to? They are fun to play with," Aimi asked, her red eyes large and pleading.

"Unfortunately," Hiei mumbled, making Rin give him a playful glare.

He smirked and Rin had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. She had been doing that a lot today.

They reached the end of the forest and started to make their way towards the temple.

"Aunt Rin is here!" Anna yelled and soon she and her brother were running towards her like they always use to.

"You two aren't kids anymore you know," Rin joked as she gave the taller twins each a hug.

"I know, but you're still our Aunt," Josh said as he walked passed Rin to get to Kyo while Anna walked over to Aimi and picked her up, making the younger demon girl giggle.

Hiei stood beside Rin, his hand on her lower back.

"Hn, they both look and act like Yusuke. That's all the world needs."

Rin giggled, loving it when Hiei says something funny though it's always spoken through sarcasm.

Together they approached the temple and walked inside. Everyone was there, crying or talking about the woman who was lying on a Japanese style bed on the floor.

Rin approached slowly, Hiei allowing her to do it alone as he went to go talk to Kurama.

Rin bent down beside the woman who was breathing rather peacefully for a dying woman.

Tears fell from Rin's eyes as her bottom lip began to quiver.

"Jeez, you people act like I'm already dead."

Rin chuckled as she whipped her tears away and stared down at the old woman.

"On your death bed and you're still as sarcastic and feisty as ever," Rin mumbled, amused by the old woman.

Genkia snorted before prying open her eyes slightly so she could see Rin.

"You're barely in your 40's and you look the same -Lucky brat."

Rin laughed, drawing her friend's attention towards the two women.

"You look 26 to me Genkia."

"Shut up. It hurts to laugh."

Rin chuckled before getting up off of the floor to visit with her friends.

"Where are Bryce and Takumi?" Rin asked Makoto who still looked the same as he always did.

"They're at home. I told them to stay behind," Makoto said as he pulled Rin into a hug.

Rin accepted it, always feeling comforted by the demon. They visited one another very frequently, Kyo and Takumi very good friends which means they get into a lot of trouble together.

Aimi loves Makoto and Blaize and spends a lot of time with them, Blaize being her most favorite because she to is a magical demon of fire.

Rin pulled away from Makoto and ran over to Yukina.

To this day Yukina was still Rin's best friend and technicality her family, though Hiei still has not told Yukina he was her long lost brother. Rin was positive that Yukina knew but never pressed it. Someday Hiei will be ready and until that day Yukina will keep it to herself.

"It's been too long," Yukina said and the two short demons hugged.

"Yes it has," Rin replied as they pulled away from one another.

They turned towards Kuwabara who was talking to Jesse and their daughter Hana, who was short like her mother with dark blue hair and the same red eyes.

She was sweet like Yukina and passionate like her father. She was in art school due to her talent for drawing different cultures. She was extremely bright and rather popular despite her different appearance.

"Its hard to think that she will be gone. This will become a safe house for apparitions and people who aren't accepted for what they are. The property is ours."

"The whole thing?" Rin questioned, not knowing them when Genkia had told them what to do with her home.

"Yes," Yukina nodded, her eyes glancing around at their friends and family.

"She lived a long life."

Rin spotted Yusuke and Keiko sitting separate from the rest of the group.

"That she did," Rin said before walking towards the loner couple.

"How are you doing?" Rin asked once she was close enough to be heard due to the whispers in the room.

"It's so sad," Keiko said, a few tears falling from her eyes that were now more aged in her 40's.

She looked younger than she was but her age was starting to show as the years went on. Rin needed to do something soon or else they were going to have to go though this again in a few more years.

"When she died the first time, I couldn't bare the thought of her leaving because it was that bastard Taguro who took her from me. This time though," Yusuke said, his eyes glossy but happy, "This time she can find peace."

Rin smiled at Yusuke before giving him a tight hug -If Yusuke was okay than everyone else will be to. He was the glue to their family after all.

Rin walked over to Hiei and Kurama, her smile sad as she looked at Kurama who looked the same as always. If possible he was even more handsome.

"Where's Yuki?"

Kurama smiled, his pearly white teeth gleaming in the light as he turned his green eyes to a young boy around Aimi's age who was playing patty cake with Boton. He had short white hair and bright green eyes with golden splashes, much like how Rin's eyes are but with different colors.

"Should have known he'd be beautiful," Rin joked -this time her smile happy as she looked at the gorgeous boy who seemed very mature for his age.

"Perhaps he and Aimi will become good friend?"

Rin narrowed her eyes, knowing what the sneaky fox was getting at, but her mate beat her to it.

"That would be a bad idea fox. If you're attached to the boy keep him away from her."

Kurama and Rin shared amused looks before they dropped the subject, knowing very well to not push the fire demons buttons.

"Blaize!"

Everyone turned their attention to what was happening outside.

Blaize had just walked out of the woods and Aimi was doing the usual greetings.

"You'd think that girl never saw her," Makoto mused.

Anna, Josh and Kyo finally came inside, no longer having to keep little Aimi entertained.

"Blaize can have her," Kyo mumbled as he walked over to his parents.

"Be nice," Rin said sternly as she playfully smacked his arm.

Kyo pouted before walking over to Hana who was one of his good friends beside Takumi.

Blaize walked into the temple, Aimi on her back giggling as she looked around wildly at the group of adults.

Everyone began to chuckle at the innocents of the little girl who seemed to brighten the room and the darkness that was sitting on top of it.

Blaize sat Aimi down who began to run to Rin and Hiei in excitement. However she was laughing so hard that she wasn't paying attention and tripped over her own sneaker. She began to fall but Yuki being the closest caught her.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, getting his father smooth and gentle voice.

Aimi blushed and went to answer but was distracted by the golden glow that surrounded the two children.

"Looks like they will be friends after all," Rin mused as she examined the scene.

All Makoto told her was some of their kind will get protectors when a female is born after a boy. She knew that he was leaving something important out, but she never pressed it. It wasn't important.

"Hn," Hiei grunted -his unhappiness too great for words.

Blaize smirked as she winked at Rin and Kurama who were both smiling.

"That's cute," Jesse said, now joining in the conversation.

"We'll leave the explanation to Makoto and Blaize," Kurama said, knowing that Makoto leaves things out but for once the fox didn't press into the matter.

The only one who knew the truth was Yusuke who was watching the scene with a small smile as he remembered when he met Katsumi and her words to him -And how she was just as crazy as her brother.

Yusuke glanced at Makoto who looked like he was far away and in another world. He did this often when he was remembering something from his long, long past.

Makoto snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at Yusuke. He nodded, his eyes light yet sad. Yusuke returned the nod.

The night went on, the children falling asleep in the bedrooms and the adults staying downstairs with Genkia who only woke up once or twice, and each time she had a smart ass comment.

The morning time came and no one had anything to say as they all waited.

"Hey guys," Shizuru said as she entered the temple.

She was physically the oldest and Rin once again racked her brain for ways to keep her family together.

She stayed silent as she rested her head on Hiei's shoulder. They were sitting up against the wall next to Yukina and Kuwabara.

Koenma had at some point zapped into the room and was holding Boton, who was holding Yukina's hand as she rested against Kuwabara.

Kurama was massaging Jesse's hands as he rested his head on top of hers. Everyone knew it was coming, that she was getting ready to let go.

The clock struck 8 and Genkia's chest stopped moving. She was gone.

Sniffles were heard around the room as everyone lowered their heads to the respectful woman. She didn't want a funeral which was why they were all there now. They will not cry over her death, but celebrate her life and the impact she made in each and everyone of there lives.

"Let the god's and goddesses grant you peace in the after life," Rin whispered as she whipped a stray tear away.

"Let the god's and goddesses grant you peace in the after life," everyone else repeated, even Hiei though he said it too soft for anyone to really hear.

"You crazy old hag," Yusuke added as he whipped away a tear.

The room was silent, and then everyone began to chuckle lightly before it fell silent once more, but this time it wasn't as tense.

"Come on Boton, this time it's for real," Koenma said as he bent to pick up Genkia's body.

"I know," Boton whispered before they waved goodbye and entered through a portal to the Spirit World.

Everyone was quiet for a moment; the only sound being heard was crying and the men whispering to their mates.

Rin and Hiei were the exception. They were both silent though tears fell from Rin's eyes and Hiei rubbed her back gently.

No, no one in their family was going to be taken from her.

"Keiko, Shizuru," Rin suddenly said, making all of the eyes in the room turn towards her.

"Let me do to you what I did to Kuwabara."

They were all silent for a moment before Blaize stood up.

"No, lets do something different but will have the same effect, Keiko; do you wish to not die before your mate?"

Keiko's eyes went wide as she glanced at Yusuke who didn't look nearly as aged as her.

"No. I think about that everyday," Keiko whispered, making Yusuke looked shocked and scared at the same time.

It was something he tried to not think about.

"Come here then," Blaize said as she pulled Rin on to her feet and the two women walked to the middle of the room.

Keiko stood up and joined them, being the top of the point in their three person triangle.

"You don't have to do this," Yusuke whispered.

Keiko smiled at him, "I don't want to live without you and our children, even in the after life."

She turned back to the two demons and nodded -her eyes determined and sure as they grabbed hands to straighten the magic.

"Now Keiko, you just stand there and stay calm. Yusuke, we need you to come here as well," Blaize said, knowing more than Rin at the moment.

Yusuke approached them and swiftly caught the knife that Makoto through at him. Makoto nodded before backing up and away from the picture.

"When I tell you to, I need you to cut your palm and place it over Keiko's heart. Keiko, please take off your sweater."

Keiko and Yusuke both looked a little freaked out but Keiko took off her blue sweater without question. The dress she had on under it showed enough of her chest so that Yusuke could do his strange task without moving around clothing.

"Okay, no hesitation," Blaize said and the couple nodded.

She glanced at Rin and nodded again. Rin returned it before Blaize began chanting in the old ancient language of their people.

Rin began to join, always knowing what to do even when she had never done it.

Keiko began to glow in a white light as the magic began to enter her bones. Everyone watched in amazement as Keiko changed before their eyes, the crow's feet and signs of old age starting to disappear as she seemed to go backwards in time.

"Now," Blaize said, her eyes glowing an orangish red while Rin's glowed silver.

Yusuke sliced his hand and placed it right above Keiko's left breast.

Blaize and Rin began to chant again and this time Yusuke was included in the glow. He wanted to scream out but remembered what Blaize said about remaining calm. He did his best though he was freaked out. Every time he glowed it had to do with him dying.

They stopped chanting and very slowly the glowing rested itself completely into Keiko.

Rin and Blaize stepped back as Yusuke pulled his hand off of his wife's chest.

"Hey, where's the blood?" Yusuke asked as he looked at his hand and her chest for blood.

"Inside of her now, she is now bonded to you in the strongest way. Your life line is her life line, your strength is her strength and no other demon will be able to touch her if they mean harm."

"It means one other thing as well," Rin added.

Everyone turned their attention to her.

"Keiko, welcome to the demon world."

Gasps were heard around the room as everyone let that bit of information sink in.

"You won't be anything powerful," Makoto said.

"Yeah, you're just a regular plain old demon. Nothing special," Blaize shrugged.

Rin shook her head at the bluntness that was Blaize as she turned her attention to Shizuru who was watching the whole thing silently.

"Come on sis, you next," Kuwabara said.

Rin already knew what was coming next. Shizuru closed her eyes and held an unlit cigarette to her lips.

"I'm married to a human little bro. I share the same outlook as Genkia to. If I outlived my husband than I would be doing what you guys are trying to stop."

Everyone fell silent as they thought over her words.

"Look guys, I'm happy with Saburo so let's stop thinking about my death and celebrate Genkia and how much we all loved her."

"Yeah, she's right," Yukina said as she kissed Kuwabara's cheek.

"Lets make that old hag wish she didn't die so she could kick all of our asses!" Yusuke cheered as everyone else slowly joined him.

Yusuke went over to his bag and brought out a bottle of sake.

"Yusuke, it's not even the afternoon time," Keiko scolded, her voice no longer tired and her appearance more like it was when she took Rin to her birthday party.

Rin smiled when she remembered her 26 birthday. Now 15 years later everything was more perfect than she thought it could be.

She met Hiei's eyes and sent him her thoughts. He smirked and crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall. Rin could tell which part of that night he was recalling in his mind.

"Who cares what time it is you guys. For today time doesn't exist," Rin said as she grabbed Yusuke bottle and took a swig.

"Hell yeah, to Genkia!" Yusuke yelled once everyone had a shot.

"To Genkia!" everyone repeated as they held there glasses up in her memory.

* * *

><p><strong>Finally I have posted all of my edited chapters. I am sorry to those who had to read it before hand and i am sorry fi there are still typos. I am not a professional and spell check can only catch so much. Many are you want to see what happens to the children and I might do that. I have a few scenes that I might post as an add on for fun.<strong>

**How did Hiei end up in with the rest of the gang so suddenly?**

**What was Makoto going through when Katsumi and Raiden were off doing business for spirit world?**

**What happen when Raiden went to the strip joint?  
><strong>

**If you would like to know message me and tell me. And while your add it you can add something to the list. if not than I will simply leave the story be. I hope you guys enjoyed it (remastered and original) and review!  
><strong>


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